Finchkit's Journey
by ImpossibleNightmare
Summary: "In two different worlds, they will walk the same path." Finchkit is the sister of the future WindClan leader Tallstar who died shortly after her birth. But StarClan had reason to take her from her family, and she will meet a destiny alongside her living brother. This is Finchkit's journey.
1. Prologue

I do not own Warriors.

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 **Prologue**

Cats with stars in their pelts watched the gleaming silver pool with clouded eyes. They must do something that they would always regret. By taking the life of one of the kits that would be born on this day, they would begin the journey of her brother who would grow up to be one of WindClan's greatest warriors.

"In two different worlds, they will walk the same path," mewed Mothflight. "The stars have told me this. We are making the right decision."

Windstar, the first leader of her Clan, looked to the medicine cat with shadowed eyes. "A life will be lost. A heart shattered. Is this really what we are supposed to do?"

Mothflight bowed her head. "For the greater good."

Gorsestar padded up next to his mate. "Will this sacrifice be worth it in the end?"

"It's not a sacrifice," Mothflight began to protest, but her voice dropped. "It is what must be done."

There was a pause, a momentous one. This decision was of grave importance. A life was on the line. A future was at stake.

"It is these kits' destiny," Mothflight meowed.

The StarClan cats looked at each other. This argument, about whether or not they should let such a newborn kit into StarClan when it could live out a life in the Clan, had been the topic of discussion for over two moons now, ever since Mothflight had received a vision from the stars. Every time the topic was brought into discussion, the cats had pushed it away, not wishing to dwell on such dark matters, but now they were out of time. The kits were due any moment now.

Windstar rose to her paws. The cats in the clearing, surrounding the pool which allowed them to gaze down below into the world of the Clans, grew silent. They watched her with wide, glowing eyes and bated breath. The next words from Windstar's mouth were the hardest to get out.

"You say that in two different worlds, they will walk the same path," the faded leader quoted. "Let's hope that this prophecy is correct, and that we are not taking a life that should be lived."

"Never doubt a prophecy," Mothflight reminded her gently.

"We would never take a life without reason," Gorsestar added.

Another pause are at the silence. Windstar spoke again at last, making the final decision. "Do it," she mewed. "Do it so that destiny will be met. But if it turns out we were wrong..." She paused, bowing her head. "I'll never forgive myself."

The other StarClan cats looked at each other at this statement. A beat of silence followed, and then they began murmuring to each other, making worried comments and assuring themselves that this choice was the right one.

Gorsestar hopped to his paws and was the first cat from the meeting clearing. The other cats soon followed, leaving Windstar and Mothflight alone.

Windstar was on her paws. She gave the pool a last, sad look before turning to go. She stopped just as she was almost out of the clearing. She looked to Mothflight. "You'll tell the kit why we made this choice," she asked, but it was more of a statement, a demand.

"Of course." Mothflight dipped her head in acknowledgment.

Windstar finished, "I've made many bad choices while I was alive, and just as many in StarClan. I don't wish to add another."

"Nobody does," mewed Mothflight, and then realized she was alone in the clearing. Windstar had padded away, swiftly and quietly like the cats in her Clan.

Mothflight turned to the silver pool, watching the WindClan queens in their nursery. Tomorrow, the first step in one of the unborn kit's life would be set into the action. The other would lead a different life, in StarClan, and never grow up in the place of her birth.

The stars had foretold it, and Mothflight could do nothing but listen and obey.

She watched the expecting queen purr in amusement at the two kits tussling on the nursery floor, and her heart felt heavy.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, wondering if the queen would still be happy after tomorrow. "I'm sorry for you, Palebird. And I'm sorry about your kits."

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 **Author's Note:** My first warrior's fan fiction! I'm super excited! Again, I don't own Warriors! Thanks for reading. Chapter two will hopefully be out shortly.

Note: I edited this chapter, but if you see any mistakes I missed, please let me know!


	2. Chapter 1

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Prologue

She woke up in StarClan. Large cats, bigger than the two she'd seen in her very short life, surrounded her, blinking kindly down at her.

"Welcome, Finchkit," one of the cats mewed. "It is a grave fact indeed that your life with WindClan has been cut so short, but we are your Clanmates now. You have a greater destiny here among us then you do with the living cats below."

Finchkit blinked in fright. "Who are you? Where is my mother? What am I doing here? Where is here?" The questions burst forth from her mouth in a torrent. She squeaked, her voice tiny and thin like a newborn kit, which she was.

"Eyes already open," observed another cat with a kind but critical gaze. "Very healthy. Had it not been for our choice, she certainly would've grown up to be a strong and successful warrior."

"You know why we've done this, Windstar," said the first cat, rolling her eyes in an exasperated manner. She looked at Finchkit with wide, annoyed eyes and an expression that made Finchkit purr with amusement despite her fright. "We've gone over this more times than there are stars in the sky."

"I'm just worried," said the second cat, Windstar.

"Yes, we know," a third cat spoke up.

"Finchkit," said the first cat. "Welcome to StarClan."

Finchkit squeaked loudly, "StarClan? What's that?"

"I will explain everything to you, Finchkit," the first cat promised gently. "Windstar, Gorsestar, the rest of you, I can take it from here. Once Finchkit understand everything going on...that's when we can make introductions. I understand you must be feeling very overwhelmed, Finchkit. After all, you were born only more than a few heartbeats ago. But now you are one of us."

"Such a short life," mewed Windstar under her breath as she padded out of the clearing with her mate and the other starry cats.

Finchkit watched them go in awe. Such large cats! With such power and wisdom in them. Surely she couldn't be like them. She was too small, too young, too inexperienced.

"Walk with me, little one," mewed the first cat, who was the only one still by the little kit's side. The two fell into step beside each other. The larger cat looked thoughtfully downwards, down at her starry paws which hardly seemed to skim the surface of the grassy ground. She was beautiful, graceful and poised. Finchkit felt awkward and clumsy next to her, which was a strange feeling because she was so small.

"My name is Mothflight," the first cat spoke at last. "I used to be WindClan's medicine cat."

"What's WindClan?" asked Finchkit.

"WindClan is the Clan you were born into," Mothflight explained gently. "There are four Clans that we, in StarClan, watch over and guard, and speak to in our dreams when we need to carry an important message to the world below."

"We sound important!" Finchkit mewed excitedly.

"All the Clans are very important," Mothflight corrected. "ThunderClan are fierce warriors, living deep in the forest, guarded by trees. ShadowClan is sly and sneaky, and a little hostile, though they are made up of fine and noble warriors. RiverClan is the only Clan to set paw willingly in the water, and they have tamed the wild currents that run through the rivers and swim like the fish they catch. And WindClan," Mothflight paused, and then purred, "is, in my opinion, the best Clan. They are the closest to the sky, touching paws with the clouds and the nearest to us up in StarClan."

"I like WindClan," Finchkit purred delightedly. "So if I'm a WindClan cat, then why am I in StarClan? What is StarClan?"

"StarClan, like I said, watches over the others from above," Mothflight mewed.

"But why are we up here, and not down there?" asked Finchkit.

"It's a long story," Mothflight excused. "It's for another time, when you've gotten used to your...life, here in StarClan. But know this. Down below, in the world of the four Clans, there are borders which are constantly fought over. Up in StarClan, there are no borders. We are free to roam wherever we want. And as a duty, we must try to enforce peace down below. Though the four clans may be enemies, all must survive."

Finchkit nodded. She was still very confused and didn't really understand some of the words spoken by the bigger cat, but she wanted to seem knowledgeable. "Okay."

"I'd like to show you something, Finchkit," Mothflight meowed. "This is a big deal, and I fear you might be too young...but I think it wise to teach kits at a young age, so they will learn quickly. Come with me. It's time you meet your family, down in WindClan."

"I have a family?" Finchkit asked eagerly. "Why are they down in WindClan and not up here with me? Or why am I not down there with them?"

Mothflight touched the tip of her tail to Finchkit's tiny kit shoulder, and stroked the kit's spine gently. Finchkit closed her eyes instinctively and purred. She missed the sad look that crossed Mothflight's face.

"All in good time, little one. All in good time."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Chapter two done! Yay! Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I'm thinking updates will be every two to three days, depending on my schedule. With holidays coming up, it should mean that I will be less busy, but we'll have to see...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will be using the super edition Tallstar's Revenge to base off my chapters for Finchkit's Journey. This story is supposed to be like the sister story to Tallstar's Revenge, so the timelines should like up.

I love any feedback, so please review! Thank you! And I don't own Warriors. Finchkit's Journey...


	3. Chapter 2

I do not own Warriors.

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Chapter Two

Mothflight continued explaining as the two walked to wherever they were going. "StarClan," she said. "Here we watch over the cats living below, and ensure that they follow their intended destiny, the path that the stars have planned for them."

"But if the stars have already set it for them," Finchkit mewed curiously, "then shouldn't they already follow it, without our interference?"

Mothflight purred with amusement. "You're very clever, little one. But that's not how it works. All cats will stray from their path everyone once in a while, and it is our job to guide them back gently. But in the end, these little meanders from their path of fate plays an essential role to their ultimate destiny."

Finchkit thought about that, and found she really didn't understand what Mothflight was trying to tell her.

There was some hesitance between the two of them. Then Mothflight spoke again. "Sometimes, we make hard decisions. Sometimes, we must sacrifice one life so that another cat can make it to their destiny."

Finchkit's fur bristled indignantly. "That's awful! And unfair!" she mewed in protest. "Every cat deserves an equal chance at life!"

Mothflight appeared to be deeply troubled. "But Finchkit, that's what must happen sometimes." She bowed her head, as if afraid to look Finchkit in the eyes. "How could we let a life that shouldn't be lived continue on when doing so destroys the destiny of another cat?"

The newly-born kit shook her head fiercely. "No, that doesn't make sense! If the stars have already written a cats destiny, then shouldn't the cat be able to live it out even with the life continuing to be lived?"

Now the older cat shook her head. "No, Finchkit, that's not how it works. That life that is ended was meant to happen...in a way, it was that cat's destiny to die so that the other one could live their fate."

A mewl of horror tore from Finchkit's throat. "That's horrible! What kind of star would write out a destiny that terrible for a cat? It's like, _the path of this cat is to live out one day of life and then die so that so-and-so can ascend to glory!_ Please tell me you're pulling my tail!"

Turning into a starlit forest, Mothflight gently guided Finchkit down a well-worn path. "I am not pulling your tail, Finchkit. And the stars do have to give a cat a destiny like that, sometimes. It's all important. I wish I could tell you otherwise."

The brief feeling Finchkit had been feeling while arguing with the older she-cat had faded off. She now felt once again like a stupid little kit, too small for the wisdom that Mothflight carried with her.

The two walked for a while, in silence. Neither meowed a word. Finally, Mothflight brushed her tail against the younger's shoulder. "We're almost there. You must be tired, after walking so far."

The sandy she-kit perked up. "I'm not tired," she promised. "I could walk for moons! Where are we?"

The two had cleared the trees and had arrived in a clearing. In the center of the empty, tree-less space gleamed a silver pool, shimmering with a seemingly internal light. They approached it.

"This is the Starpool," said Mothflight. "The other four Clans have something similar to it called the Moonstone, but StarClan are lucky; we have our own, that we share with only the cats of our Clan. This pool will show you anything that you need to know. This is one of our best ways to watch the cats we love that live in other Clans."

Finchkit stared down at her reflection in the smooth surface of the pool. She saw a small kit, hardly more than a day old, with a ruffled sandy pelt and a white belly, wide green eyes staring back hungrily. _That's me,_ she thought, and then looked at Mothflight's reflection. The other StarClan cat was so much bigger than she was. _Why am I so small?_

"In addition to watching the other Clans," Mothflight continued, jerking Finchkit from her thoughts, "the stars can communicate with us, hence the name Starpool." She paused. "This is where the stars tell us destinies, and give us important prophecies."

Finchkit perked up at this. "A prophecy? What's that? It sounds super important!"

With a mrowl of amusement, Mothflight nodded, "Oh yes, prophecies _are_ super important. They are very mysterious and deep, often holding more than two meanings. When we in StarClan receive a prophecy, we must communicate with the referred-to cat or cats as soon as possible. We do so through dreams."

"Why can't you just walk over to those Clans and give it to them face-to-face?" Finchkit asked.

Eyes clouded, Mothflight replied evasively. "StarClan is unique. We can travel to other places not by paw, but by thought. And generally speaking, we leave more of an impression when we appear in a cat's dream then we do by meeting them." A purr caught in her throat. "Even StarClan often does not understand the prophecies StarClan gives us. So it's very useful, in dreams, when the cat we are giving the message to asks questions, to just be able to fade away into nothingness. Quite annoying if you're the cat, but quite nice when you're the one delivering the message."

Finchkit said nothing. Again, she didn't understand what Mothflight was saying. "So am I going to meet my family? In a dream? Or in the Starpool?"

Mothflight flicked her tail. "We only use dreams to communicate. You won't be communicating with your family, I'm afraid. We use the Starpool to look over our loved ones, and that's what you'll be doing."

"Okay." Her fur bristled in excitement and she sat down by the silver pool. A heavenly breeze blustered through the surrounding woods, disturbing the smooth surface of the Starpool and sending out ripples. "How does it work?"

"You'll ask to see a cat," Mothflight explained. "For example, your brother, or your mother, or your father."

Finchkit felt an unspeakable sadness open up in her. Though she could watch over them, she realized, she would never be able to talk to them unless it was to deliver a message. She'd never seen the way kits interacted with their parents, but she got the feeling that she was going to miss out on all the special moments kits experienced as they grew up.

Mothflight blinked sadly at Finchkit. Yes, StarClan had taken newborn kits before, but it was only when the kits were desperately ill and/or clinging to life. That was when they knew it would be better to bring the kit to StarClan than let it suffer through the life it just wasn't meant to live. But Finchkit had been meant to live. The stars had given two different destinies for both her and her living brother. And they, the cats in StarClan, had had to chose which one would live and which one wouldn't.

 _In two different worlds, they will walk the same path. But she'll never know what it's like to sleep cuddled into her mother's warmth, or see the pride in her father's gaze as she gets her apprentice name, or know the joys of running with the wind streaming through her fur as she races over the marsh._

"What's my brother's name?" asked Finchkit curiously.

Blinking back from her reverie, Mothflight failed to answer for a moment. "Tallkit."

Finchkit snorted. "That's a funny name. What if he's really short?"

Mothflight was amused. "Just say his name, little one, and you'll see for yourself if he's short or not."

Still sitting, Finchkit blinked down at the once-again smooth surface of the Starpool. "Tallkit," she told the calm waters firmly. The surface rippled. And Finchkit gazed for the first time at her family.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry I didn't post yesterday! And sorry I won't post tomorrow, too. I tried to make this chapter a bit longer than the previous ones...

Thanks to all my reviewers and readers! I really appreciate all your comments (and I also tend to update faster with reviews...:P). But really, seriously guys! You all are super amazing! Keep being awesome!

Note: I finally corrected my mistake. Moonpool is now Moonstone. Sorry it took me so long!


	4. Chapter 3

I do not own Warriors.

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Chapter Three

The surface if the silver pool glimmered. With wide eyes, Finchkit watched in awe as images began to form, at first indistinguishable blurry figures, but after a few moments coming into a sharper focus.

She was inside a nursery, looking over the sleeping body of a black-and-white queen. Nestled beside her was a tiny kit of the same colors. A warm, milky scent engulfed Finchkit's small form. It felt as if she were really there, standing at the queen's side, instead of watching from a pool far away.

"That's your mother, Palebird." Mothflight nodded towards the sleeping she-cat. "And that," she looked to the small kit, "is your brother, Tallkit."

An overwhelming feeling of emptiness came over Finchkit as she gazed down for the first time at the members of her family. She wasn't sure if she was sad because she would never get to know her family, never get to grow up alongside her brother, or if she was angry about it.

She decided to make a joke about the situation. "Tallkit is the opposite of tall. He's so tiny!"

Mothflight mewed in amusement. "He's the same size as you are."

"I'm not that small!" Finchkit protested.

"You were only born a few sunrises ago." Mothflight's voice had gone from lighthearted to heavy. She looked upwards, away from the pond.

"Why am I here?" asked Finchkit. Mothflight blinked at her in surprise, so she hastened to explain her question more clearly. "I mean, why is my family in WindClan and I'm not? Why did my mother not want to keep me with her?"

Mothflight's eyes clouded as she glanced back down at the too young kit in front of her. _It's your fault,_ a voice sang in the old medicine cat's head. _If it weren't for you delivering the prophecy, Finchkit wouldn't be here. She'd be curled up alongside Palebird and Tallkit like she should be. But instead, she's up here in StarClan, learning things she shouldn't know about until she's much older. She didn't need to die._

"Mothflight?" The she-cat realized that Finchkit was still looking at her for an answer expectantly.

Mothflight sighed. "Of course your mother wanted to keep you with her. She would've if she could've. But she realized why you must leave."

"Why did I have to leave?" Finchkit asked, her eyes still fixed on the pool, watching the gentle rise and fall of her mother's pelt in sleep, and the twitching paws of the tiny Tallkit curled next to his mother.

"I told you already," Mothflight mewed, coming to stand by Finchkit, brushing their pelts together. "It's your destiny."

Finchkit appeared not to have heard, but at last she spoke. "I wish it wasn't. Destiny's stupid."

"The stars would disagree." Mothflight's stern mew gave way to a purr. "But really, Finchkit, this is part of your destiny. We all have a destiny."

Finchkit allowed herself to look up from the scene of the nursery. "Really? Do I really have a destiny, or is it actually my brother who has one? Am I really dead? Did I die just so that he could have it? Is that why I'm here in StarClan and not in WindClan with my family?"

Shaking her head frantically, Mothflight felt a stab of guilt and panic at Finchkit's words. The kit could not have guessed closer to the truth. _She may be less than three sunrises old,_ mused Mothflight to herself, _but she's just as wise as the oldest members of StarClan._

"No, little one!" Mothflight said out loud. She didn't want to lie to the little kit. "That's not why you're in StarClan. You're here because you were specially chosen. Both you and your brother have an amazing destiny, just like every Clan cat."

Finchkit's eyes widened. "Really? You're not just making that up?"

Mothflight purred, convinced she had maneuvered herself safely out of dangerous waters. Finchkit didn't know. "Really."

"So I'm not dead?"

And Mothflight was thrown right back into the treacherous currents. She had to be careful, or she would drown in her own words. _Don't lie, don't lie, don't lie._ She repeated the mantra over and over to herself as she desperately fished for a reply.

"Death is a very harsh word," she began.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Finchkit leapt away from the pool. Her move sent stones on the edge of the water tumbling into it, disrupting the image of her mother and brother sleeping peacefully. When the ripples died away, the pool was silver once more.

Mothflight closed her eyes. She didn't want to do this. "Would you be upset if you were?"

Finchkit's eyes clouded. "Yes. But it would make sense, I suppose. But if I'm dead, how can I be here? Does that mean you're dead too? Is StarClan the Clan for dead cats?"

Feeling overwhelmed, Mothflight dodged all the questions. "I never said you were dead."

Finchkit lashed her tail. "But I _must_ be! It makes sense!" And then she froze. Her pelt spiked up, and her eyes went very wide. "If I'm dead, then doesn't I must have died for Tallkit's big destiny! You lied to me!"

"Now where did you get that idea from?" Mothflight exclaimed in surprise. "Finchkit, you have such an important destiny! You really do!"

But the sand-colored kit was running away from her, and she quickly disappeared into the trees. Mothflight made no attempt to pursue her.

The old she-cat sighed. All her years in StarClan, and her years as a medicine cat before that, seemed to make no difference. She felt like a young kit again, like she once was long ago, confused, scared, guilty...and she didn't know what to do.

Finchkit was right. Mothflight had lied.

But what else was she supposed to do?

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 **Author's Note:** Sorry I didn't update yesterday! But other then that, there's nothing much I really need to say. I appreciate all feedback. Reading your reviews really makes me happy. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 4

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Four

Finchkit was jealous. As she tore through the woods as fast as her tiny kit legs could run, she thought about the scene in the Starpool, and the things Mothflight had told her. She was still very confused by everything that she'd learned, and even though she should be feeling hundreds of different emotions, all she could feel was jealousy.

It wasn't fair that her brother, Tallkit, who looked exactly like their mother and probably didn't deserve the great destiny StarClan had planned for him, got to live in WindClan! It wasn't fair that she, Finchkit, who was definitely the better kit of the litter and definitely deserved to live a great destiny, was up here in StarClan with Mothflight, confused and alone without her family!

 _I'm dead._ This realization hit Finchkit hard. She'd known it subconsciously the whole time, but she hadn't acknowledged the fact. Accepting death was terrible on its own; knowing she'd died to aid her living brother's destiny was just cruel. _I'm dead. I could've lived a life in WindClan with my family, but StarClan took that from me. No,_ she amended, her jealousy getting the better of her. Tallkit _took that from me. It's his fault that I died! It's his destiny that I died for! He doesn't deserve to live!_

She halted, her chest heaving. Emotion stung her eyes. She collapsed, nestled in the roots of an oak tree. Across from her, a gorse bush bloomed full; it's yellow flowers reached towards the branches of the trees above, grasping at the beams of sunlight that penetrated the leaves. Finchkit curled into a tight ball, tucked against the tree, her fur getting soiled by the sandy ground below. She didn't care though. She wanted desperately to go to sleep to stop all the hurt and angry thoughts rushing about in her head. She wanted to fall asleep and wake up, nestled safely next to her mother instead of by a tree, with Tallkit up in StarClan instead of her. Or better yet, she wanted to wake up and not be in StarClan at all.

Having never lived in a Clan due to her death shortly after birth, she did not know what Clan life was like. _Who needs the Clans?_ Finchkit thought to herself. Her thoughts still raced around in her head, not calming down like she wanted them too. She squeezed herself smaller. _What's so great about Clan life anyway?_

Better yet, she'd wake up and she wouldn't be in StarClan, or WindClan, or any of the other Clans. She'd wake up, and she'd be somewhere unfamiliar. Granted, StarClan was unfamiliar, and so were all of the other four clans, but here, in Clan territory, she felt unusually trapped. Waking up somewhere else, away from these cats, would be unfamiliar as well, but there at least she might feel free. Free from Clans and destiny and all the other stuff that Mothflight had told her about so earnestly. She'd be free from the knowledge that she'd died so her brother could succeed at his Clan life.

Although, she'd still be dead.

A bird lit on the branch above where Finchkit lay. It burst into song, and Finchkit raised her small head to give the singing creature an annoyed glare. The bird did not heed to her silent command for it to fall silent; if anything, it's voice grew louder, as if determined to anger Finchkit even more.

Lifeless, Finchkit's head fell back to its position. After a moment or so, she found that perhaps she didn't mind the bird's singing so much after all. There was something otherworldly about it. It was beautiful and eerie, haunting in a way that made Finchkit's fur stand on end.

 _Do birds come to StarClan when they die too?_ Finchkit wondered, her eyes squeezed shut.

"I've often wondered if birds die when they come to StarClan." A strange new voice echoed Finchkit's thoughts. She was immediately on her paws, fur bristling. The bird had taken flight, its haunting song disappearing rapidly into the trees. Still, the last few notes reverberated in Finchkit's ears, and she yearned for it to return. Perhaps there was something in StarClan that understood her sadness. Mothflight, while seeming compassionate and sympathetic, had struck a sour note with Finchkit before she'd run. And while she was sure the other StarClan cat only had her best interests in mind, she just couldn't appreciate Mothflight.

The newcomer was a brown tabby she-cat. She lowered her head in greeting.

"Hello, Finchkit," she mewed. "I am Windstar."

Finchkit supposed she should feel honored meeting this cat. Something told her that Windstar had been very important. But she couldn't summon any respectful feelings; remnants of jealousy, anger, and sadness had morphed into annoyance at that cat who'd disturbed her.

"Nice to meet you," she replied in her politest mew, and then turned away from Windstar, intending to find a new spot alone. She wanted to go somewhere where nobody would ever find her until she decided she wanted to see someone again, if that ever happened.

"How'd your meeting with Mothflight go?" Windstar asked, bounding to Finchkit's side in a single leap.

Finchkit subconsciously bared her teeth, though she wasn't sure if it was because of Windstar's close proximity, or at Mothflight's mention.

Windstar purred in amusement. "Not well, I can guess." She paused for a moment, tail swishing thoughtfully. "Mothflight is my daughter," she told Finchkit, as if that was supposed to mean something. It didn't. "She was always so distracted, all the time. I wanted to desperately to be proud of her, but she never seemed to do the right thing. This one time, she chased a feather and nearly got run over by a monster on the Thunderpath…she almost died." Windstar paused again, closing her eyes as if she regretted the next part of the story. "I was angry, and annoyed with her. I exiled her from the Clan." She purred again. "I know, she was my daughter. I should've kept her there, where I knew she was safe and protected, but I was furious. I suppose it was the right thing to do…if I hadn't done that, she never would've found the Moonstone."

"The Moonstone," Finchkit repeated. "That's like the Clan's version of our Starpool."

Windstar nodded. "Yes, that's correct. Mothflight's shown that to you, has she?" At Finchkit's downcast look, she continued. "Ah. It's tough, I know, looking down at the world of the Clans, a world we were once part of."

Finchkit looked at her paws. Her angry emotions had seeped out of her, vanishing into the trees much like the bird's song had. "I was never part of that."

The old leader's tail brushed her shoulder. "Don't say that. Of course you were part of that. Everyone was, at some point."

The little she-kit looked up into the older she-cat's eyes. "But I died before I could be a part of it!" she protested.

"It may seem that way." Windstar's eyes were dark and filled with sorrow. She looked up, at the sky, peeking out through the branches of the trees. "I know you must be angry. Mothflight, when I talked to her before you arrived, seemed to want to protect you by not telling you that you were dead, that StarClan is the Clan of deceased cats. She felt guilty, because I suppose you could say that she was the one who received the prophecy that resulted in your arrival here…and I was too upset at her to tell her that she was being foolish by not telling you the truth."

Finchkit only heard about the prophecy. "The prophecy? I'm in a prophecy? But I'm dead! Tallkit's the lucky one who gets to live out a stupendously glorious life in WindClan!" _While I'm stuck up here in StarClan with a bunch of old cats who are dead like me._

Windstar's purr of amusement caught in her throat. She cleared her throat before continuing. "Yes, Tallkit's the lucky one who gets to live out a stupendously glorious life in WindClan. But you're the lucky one who gets to live out a stupendously glorious life in StarClan."

"How can I live when I'm dead?"

"That phrase sometimes confuses me too," Windstar mewed understandingly. "Living in StarClan. But see, we are only dead in the world below. Here, we are very much alive."

"What's the prophecy?"

Windstar hesitated, looking at the small sandy she-kit in front of her. "Are you sure you want to know?" she asked. At Finchkit's nod, she sighed and spoke the words that would follow Finchkit for a long time.

 _"In two different worlds, they will walk the same path."_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for not updating before today! I finished Chapter 3 and kind of said, where am I going to go next? Is Mothflight going to chase after Finchkit? Is Finchkit going to have some epiphany and return? Instead, I had Windstar find and talk to Finchkit. This chapter kind of turned out way more detailed than the other ones, which is good because it's better writing, and bad because I feel like the style of the piece is inconsistent...

I also realize that I previously described Windstar as a white she-cat when she's a brown tabby...

BooksRCoolYeah: I looked back, and you're totally right! I'm so sorry I messed up the Moonstone and the Moonpool. I apologize, and I will fix that as soon as I can. Thanks for telling me! If you find any other errors, please let me know! I want to keep this story as authentic as I can, and I really appreciate your feedback. Thanks for reading!

Mistleaf: I'm really glad you like the story! I will definitely incorporate Finn/Cloudfall's character in the story at some point. It may be a little while, but I promise that he'll come into the story! I like the idea of Finchkit leading a life...er, afterlife?...in the Clan. Thanks for reading!

Mistyecho101: I hope Finchkit gets some happiness too! I'm glad you think it's a cool story. I hoped you liked this chapter too, and that this chapter didn't make you sad. Thanks for reading!

Remained unnamed: Thank you! And you're a great writer as well. I really appreciate all your support and cannot say enough thank-yous. Thanks for reading!

WyldClaw: Thanks! And I really love your username! I appreciate the time you take to read the story. It means a for reading!

Snowcrystal of Thunderclan: Thank you so much for all your reviews and support! I really appreciate it, and you're an amazing writer. I really love your stories. Thanks for reading!

shadowdapple: First off, that is a super awesome name. Secondly, thanks! I appreciate the time you take to read the story. It means a lot. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Let me start by sending a huge thanks to all of you who left me suggestions for the kits names - Mistyecho101, Moodycat2, Mistleaf, MyPatronusIsEmberdawn, shadowdapple, BooksRCoolYeah, and Dappleflower. Thank you guys so much! Unfortunately, because I loved all the kits, I'm scrapping the original only-four-kits plan and am going to mention most, if not all, of the kits at some point in the story. There were a few names mentioned twice, so for those cases I combined the two descriptions. Hope you guys don't mind! Anyway, let's get to the story. I don't own Warriors!

* * *

Chapter Five

Windstar had led Finchkit out of the woods, and now they walked across a meadow, long grasses rippling in the wind and tickling Finchkit as she brushed past.

They had walked in silence for a good while now; Finchkit had been thinking about the prophecy, the one that apparently she was part of. _Maybe I didn't die just for my brother, then,_ she hardly dared think. Because she was scared her hopes would be crushed. _Maybe I died for my destiny too. Maybe there's more to this than I thought. Maybe I'm not just some insignificant part in a greater destiny. Maybe -_ she stopped. There was a swelling feeling in her chest, and she wished it would go away. The feeling of hope was unfamiliar to her, and under the circumstances, it felt unpleasant.

"Where are we going?" She finally broke the silence between her and the brown tabby she-cat.

Windstar, having padded a few tail-lengths ahead of the littler cat, glanced over her shoulder and purred, "I'm taking you to see some other kits. I think you might like to meet some kits your own age."

"There are other kits here in StarClan?" Finchkit asked. _But what about my destiny? Isn't that more important than meeting other kits?_

"Of course there are other kits," Windstar replied, and for a moment her eyes clouded. "More than I'd like there to be. "

"Did they die for a special destiny too?" Finchkit questioned. _Maybe I'm not so special after all._ The swelling feeling was gone now, replaced by a familiar ache of jealousy and anger.

"Some," Windstar mewed evasively. "But not all. How they died and why is not important right now."

"I didn't know StarClan let other kits die," Finchkit continued after a moment of silence. "I thought it was just me. You really wouldn't be cruel enough to take young kits' lives?"

Halting in her tracks, Windstar turned to face Finchkit. The old leader's eyes were still clouded, and the stars that gleamed in her brown tabby pelt seemed to dim. "Finchkit, this is something you're going to hear often, starting now. StarClan has its reasons for everything, even taking lives."

"Oh." Finchkit paused too. "So they have great destinies too?"

Windstar shook her head, but not in an answer to the question. "Death is not all about destiny. Sometimes, we bring kits to StarClan because they are not safe alive, or because we know that they cannot survive, and don't wish to see them suffer." She continued walking. "We're almost there. There's a rock in this meadow that the kits particularly enjoy playing on."

"Are their parents still alive too?" Finchkit caught up to the bigger cat, now matching her pace pawstep-for-pawstep, instead of lagging behind.

"Unfortunately, or I suppose fortunately, depending on how you look at it," Windstar mewed in reply. "Most of these kits only died fairly recently. Splashkit, Dapplekit, and Silverkit recently arrived from RiverClan, after they were swept away from their camp by a flood. It was a tragic accident, and we had to send their poor mother Morningheart a dream to reassure her that her kits were safe."

 _So these kits aren't that special, then._ She didn't know why she was thinking so jealously of other kits she hadn't met. They'd died too! It shouldn't be fair that kits so young had lived such short lives, and that their deaths hadn't been for destiny. But all she could muster was a faint sense of shame, overwhelmed by the novelty of her specialness. _See Tallkit!_ she thought with a silent ha as the two continued walking. _I'm just as special as you are - maybe even more!_

"Here we go." They'd reached the rock now. It had emerged like a shadow from the meadow, not visible from afar, but large from up close. Every nook and cranny, it seemed, was filled with the gleaming pelts of the kits of StarClan.

Upon seeing the new arrivals, immediately a flurry of glistening pelts and tiny tails came crawling down from the rock, scrambling across the ground on small legs in a haste to reach Finchkit and Windstar first.

"Hello!" mewed a she-kit with cold blue eyes and black paws and ears. She was larger than Finchkit and most of the other kits who now surrounded her like a school of fish, blinking wide and curious eyes at the new cat.

"Windstar!" Another little kit with honey-colored fur was blinking up at the WindClan leader in awe.

Momentarily distracted by the presence of a leader, many of the kits forgot about Finchkit as they instead swarmed the brown tabby she-cat, who purred in amusement.

"Hello, Lilykit," she mewed to the kit who'd greeted her. "Where's your sister, Songkit?"

"I'm here!" trilled a small dark gray she-kit. She stood next to her sister, and both kits craned their necks to look up into Windstar's face. "You remembered my name!"

"Of course," Windstar reassured them.

Another kit with gold fur and amber eyes batted one of Windstar's paws. "Look at my battle stance! Icekit's been teaching me how to do one, because she learned a bit about fighting before she came to StarClan!"

The kit who'd greeted Finchkit first purred. "Heatherkit's really coming along with it. She almost caught a mouse that wandered onto the Rock earlier today!"

Heatherkit's eyes glowed. "Thanks, Icekit!"

Yet another kit, this one red and orange, pounced on Windstar's tail, and the leader jerked it and pretended to be mortally wounded. "Oh no!" she cried. "I've been gravely injured! How have you all become such powerful warriors?"

The kits giggled. A pang of sadness stabbed at Finchkit as she watched some of the kits tussle with Windstar. These kits spoke as if they still had a future as a warrior, even though they would never get to even be an apprentice. They were stuck like this forever.

She noticed several kits had not joined in the mock battle. A black tom with startling blue eyes, a fluffy gray she-kit, and a bright red tom with white splashes of white on his pelt and a blue-grey paw among them.

"Windstar isn't our leader," mewed the a pale gray she-kit as if in explanation. "Before I came to StarClan, I was a ShadowClan warrior!"

A pale ginger she-kit rolled her green eyes. "You were not a warrior, Willowkit! Cedarstar exiled our mother from the Clan! We never would've been one."

"ThunderClan is the best Clan," declared a different kit, the bright ginger tom. Four other kits hastened to agree with him, their small heads bobbing up in down in support.

"Figures, coming from a ThunderClan cat like you, Shadowkit," spat a dark brown tom. He looked to Finchkit. "What Clan did you come from, before StarClan took you?"

"WindClan," Finchkit mewed. "But what do you - "

"And WindClan is the best!" the tom cut across her. "I'm Midnightkit."

The other present kits jumped in, quickly introducing themselves with excited mews, their altercation temporarily forgotten. There was Wilowkit, Sandkit, Leafkit and Foxkit of ShadowClan, there was Midnightkit, Splashkit, Dapplekit, and Silverkit of RiverClan, Shadowkit, Lionkit, Sunkist, and Cloudkit from ThunderClan, and Falconkit from WindClan.

Too many for Finchkit to keep track of.

"Where are all the other WindClan kits?" Finchkit asked, and then realized when Falconkit flicked his tail disdainfully at the kit-covered Windstar.

"Falconkit thinks he's too good for play fights," teased Leafkit.

"All right, that's enough kits." Windstar padded over to where Finchkit stood with the other kits. She had a little bit of difficulty walking, as several of the kits, particularly Heatherkit, kept punching on her tail and her paws. "I need to get going. But excellent work, all of you! Icekit, I'm very impressed with what you've been teaching them!"

"Will we get to be apprentices?" Lilykit mewed hopefully, looking up at Windstar with wide eyes.

"I'll be leader one day!" her sister hissed, crouching down as if she were stalking prey. "Songstar! No one will dare mess with WindClan ever again!"

Gently setting her tail on Songkit's shoulder, Windstar mewed softly, "In StarClan, there aren't any borders between the Clans. We are all part of one Clan."

Songkit shrugged. "I keep forgetting."

"I'll leave you all to get acquainted with your new friend." Windstar began padding away.

"Wait!" Finchkit called desperately. "Don't I have to go with you? What about my destiny?"

"You deserve a bit of a break," Windstar explained. "I need to find Mothflight and have a bit of a talk with her. She'll come fetch you. She knows what to do."

"Why are you going to go with Mothflight?" Splashkit asked. "We're totally better than her!"

Finchkit fixed weary eyes on the other kits. She saw that their pelts gleamed with stars, and their eyes, though stretched wide with innocent curiosity, held wisdom well beyond their years. Was that what she looked like?

"Do you know why you're here?" she asked at last.

"What do you mean?" Icekit padded forward, her blue eyes narrowed. "StarClan brought us here."

"No," Finchkit shook her head. "Do you know why StarClan brought you here, took you away from your Clans and your family?"

"My family's right here," Lilykit purred, twining her tail around Songkit's.

Some of the kits were looking at each other, a bit confused.

"Well, I did wonder why I woke up here instead of in my nursery nest, next to my mother," a small tom piped up. Then his eyes seemed to glow even brighter. "But then Mothflight told me not to worry, and that I was safe here, and my mother would find me soon!"

There was such joy and hope in these words. It made Finchkit feel sad all over again, chasing out any last remnants of jealousy she'd ever had for these kits. It seemed they didn't know that they were in StarClan because they'd died.

"So, you don't know that you d - " Finchkit began to ask.

"Don't worry," Icekit cut across. She gave Finchkit a look through narrowed eyes. "We're a family now. Let's play a game!"

As the kits fell to work trying to decide what game to play, Icekit turned to Finchkit. "Can I talk to you, please?"

Feeling trepidation, Finchkit followed Icekit away from the Rock, feeling much like she had when she'd spoken with Mothflight.

There was silence for a moment, but then Icekit spoke, once she was sure the other kits weren't eavesdropping and couldn't hear her voice. "I was only a few sunrises away from my apprenticeship when I died," she said at last. "But a fox came to WindClan. My mother was away, hunting for my littermates and myself. Nobody was in the nursery with us. The fox got into the nursery before the warriors could stop it. I was foolish. I thought I could kill the fox and save everyone. But the fox killed me instead."

Finchkit didn't know what to say. She didn't even know what she was supposed to be feeling when this story was told. _That was your destiny,_ her mind told Icekit. _You were supposed to die then._

"The other kits don't know that they've died," Icekit finally went on. "They think they've been brought to StarClan because it's safer than being in the Clans."

 _Really?_ Finchkit thought in shock. _Other kits are being told the same thing? Then maybe Mothflight didn't just lie to me._

"Why aren't they being told?" Finchkit mewed. "Why are we being 'protected' from that knowledge?"

Icekit shrugged. "Maybe StarClan thinks we're too young to know stuff like that."

"But aren't we part of StarClan?" Finchkit asked. "We've all died. We walk among the stars too."

"It seems StarClan thinks we're better off not knowing," Icekit responded.

"So none of those kits know the real reason why they're here, why they'll never grow up or become warriors?"

"Well, I do," Icekit mewed, sounding a bit condescending. Her voice softened. "And so do Grasskit, Skykit, Rabbitkit, and Snowkit - they're littermates. They were part of WindClan a long time ago, and...well, they have a pretty tragic death that I'm not going to tell you about. But I guess StarClan figured there was no feasible explanation of how they survived."

 _It looks like I'm the only one with any kind of destiny after death,_ Finchkit thought.

"I don't like this," Finchkit said. "Any of it. I wish I were still alive in WindClan. But mostly, I don't like how none of those kits knows the truth. It's not fair! Will they ever realize?"

Icekit shrugged. "It certainly doesn't seem like it. Cloudkit, Violetkit, and Pigeonkit have been here the longest of us all, and they still don't seem to have figured it out."

"We should tell them, then," Finchkit suggested, surprised to find how passionate she was on this subject.

Pelt bristling, Icekit shook her head adamantly. "No. If StarClan hasn't told them, then we certainly can't."

"We're part of StarClan!" Finchkit began in protest, but before she could say anything else, a small white and gray tom bounded up, tiny tail upright.

"Icekit, we're playing Clans, and we want you to be WindClan's leader!" he announced eagerly.

"All right, let's go," Icekit said, bounding away from Finchkit in one swift movement. She looked back once at Finchkit, warning her.

The small tom looked serenely at Finchkit, cocking his head slightly as if examining her. "You can play too," he said. "I'm Smallkit."

Finchkit stared.

Looking a bit uncomfortable, Smallkit started back after Icekit, to the Rock where the other kits were waiting. "Are you coming? Is everything okay?"

Shaking herself back to earth - or StarClan - Finchkit padded after him. "Yeah. You are kind of small, I guess." _Better than Tallkit._

"Birdkit will be my deputy!" Icekit, leader of WindClan, declared from her high perch on the rock.

"Fox bites!" Heatherkit cursed, looking extremely dismayed. "I wanted to be deputy!"

"You'll never be deputy!" the pale tabby she-kit named Birdkit hissed playfully.

 _How true,_ Finchkit thought, stopping in her tracks. A lonesome feeling now settled into her. _They'll never be anything but kits. And they won't even know why, because StarClan won't tell them that they're dead._

"Let's go, Finchkit!" Falconkit yowled. "Icekit's planning an attack on Harestar and his Clan!"

"You're not supposed to let everyone know that, silly," Pigeonkit chided.

Finchkit felt trapped by the vastness that was StarClan. She was stuck here forever, unable to leave, or ever be anywhere but StarClan.

 _I'll never get my apprentice name. I'll never get my warrior one. I can never be leader, except in pretend._

 _In two different worlds, they will walk the same path._

This was all Tallkit's fault.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This chapter was a longer than all the others. Hope you don't mind :). I also tried to incorporate all the kits in here at some point - if I missed one, feel free to point that out and say if you'd like to see them a later chapter. Writing through this, it suddenly came to me, what pivotal role Finchkit will play, matching her brother's role as leader in WindClan. The kits will also play a key part, so expect to see more of them in the future!

Sorry if this chapter was a bit slow. This was mostly establishing the character of the kits, in addition to the fact that no kits, with the exception of a few, actually know that they're dead because StarClan hasn't told them. I'm not trying to paint StarClan as evil - they're just trying to protect the kits.

One last big thank you to all of you who suggested kits! I really appreciate it! Thanks for reading! I will try to update as soon as possible.

Ivyfrost-from-Shadowclan: Thank you so much for all your reviews! I will double-check all my chapters for errors. Thanks for pointing them out. I hope you're glad that Finchkit met some other kits. As for normalcy...

Snowcrystal of Thunderclan: Thank you!

MyPatronusIsEmberdawn: Thank you! And I've read some of your fan fictions, and you're an amazing writer too!


	7. Chapter 6

Before reading this chapter, please make sure you read chapter five! Because it was originally a notice, and I replaced that notice for kits with an actual chapter, I'm not sure if there was a notification that it changed! So make sure you've read chapter five before you read chapter six, or you might be a little confused by what's going on...or maybe not, but still...

Anyways, on with the story. Additional notes at the end of the chapter.

I do not own Warriors.

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Chapter Six

By the time Finchkit curled up to sleep that night, nestled amongst the bodies of her fellow StarClan kits, she'd briefly forgotten everything that had happened earlier. No prophecy echoed in her ears. No anger and jealousy for her brother harbored under her pelt. She even momentarily forgot her dislike of Mothflight as she closed her eyes, falling into deep thought as she listened to the gentle breathing of Harekit and Willowkit, who slept on either side of her. For a moment, she felt like an ordinary kit, without a destiny ahead of her, who hadn't died for her brother.

 _Is this what Tallkit feels like, down in the nursery next to Palebird?_ she wondered. Then she allowed a smug thought. _I bet he doesn't have this many friends._

So many kits, all with different names, all with different back stories. Only five of the many actually knew the truth; that they were dead, and that was why they were in StarClan. Every other kit believed that they'd been specially selected to leave their Clans and join StarClan.

From WindClan, there was the rather arrogant Falconkit, who'd come to StarClan not too long ago, when, ironically, he'd been taken as prey of a falcon. He said he'd been yelling loudly at the Falcon to scare the bird off ("Yeah right," Leafkit mewed, rolling her eyes, when he told this story to Finchkit), when a StarClan cat took him away from the falcon's talons and saved him.

Lilykit and Songkit had come only a bit before Falconkit had. They'd snuck out of the camp at night, and then encountered a badger. They'd hid in a dark hollow of a tree, and when they came back out, they'd left WindClan territory completely and were face-to-face with Windstar.

Smallkit had been suffering of sickness when he'd woken up in StarClan, miraculously cured but without his mother.

Heatherkit had, like Lilykit and Songkit, snuck out of the WindClan camp one day, and been so immersed in playing an imaginary game, she crossed the border into RiverClan, slipped on stones, and fallen into the river. "I was paddling my paws around," Heatherkit mewed as she recounted the tale to Finchkit, purring with amusement, "swimming like a dog like in one of the elders' stories, and I was so scared! And then Mothflight was there, pulling me out of the river and saying everything was okay, and I've tried to go back the way I thought I came to find my home again, but I get lost all the time I try," she'd finish, her eyes wide. "And that's why I'm in StarClan."

Harekit, Willowkit, Reedkit, and Birdkit had been in StarClan so long they had begun to fade a bit around the edges. Their father had been of ShadowClan, and for the first few moons of their lives, the four kits had been separated; two in WindClan, and two in ShadowClan. Eventually, their mother decided that they should all live with her in WindClan, and only a few moons of living all together in WindClan without their father, a flood swept apart the WindClan camp and carried the kits away. They washed up in StarClan, and had been there ever since.

Grasskit, Skykit, Rabbitkit, and Snowkit were unlike the others. Not only did they know the truth and that they, like all the other kits, were only in StarClan because they had died, but they also seemed less carefree, angrier, almost. And also unlike the other kits, they were not bouncy and energetic, and more shy and reserved. They did not tell Finchkit about their deaths.

Violetkit, and Pigeonkit were the oldest kits - in the sense that they'd been in StarClan the longest. They'd met a rather gruesome end on a Thunderpath, when their mother had attempted to herd them across one in a desperate moment, and they'd been hit by a monster.

From RiverClan, there was Midnightkit, who'd fallen into the river, and Splashkit, Dapplekit, and Silverkit, littermates, had been born during a terrible sickness in RiverClan a long time ago, and they'd been swept away in a violent flood.

From ShadowClan were the lively littermates, Leafkit, who seemed to be the leader of the pack, another Willowkit, who was the most adventurous of the four and always correcting her sister, Sandkit, who was shy and quiet, and Foxkit, ever excitable. Shortly after their birth, their mother had been exiled from the Clan, and barely able to walk, the four, including their mother, had left the Clan in search of a better place to live. They'd all come to StarClan at various stages of the journey; Leafkit, freezing, had woken up grateful for the warmth StarClan provided, Willowkit after facing a starving fox, Sandkit after a tree came crashing down over her, and Foxkit waking up after not having eaten for many sunrises.

Lastly, from ThunderClan, there was Shadowkit, who'd gotten separated from his mother when his Clan fled the camp, desperate to shelter from a violent storm. Sunkit and Lionkit had been carried off by a badger that had entered the camp unexpectedly. Goldkit had been sick with green cough, and woken up one day in StarClan, not next to his mother in the nest.

And she, Finchkit? She was the only one who'd died before she'd even opened her eyes. She had died simply because it was her destiny, but none of the kits needed to know that.

"I'm here because StarClan chose me," Finchkit would explain when the kits asked her why she was here.

"Why did they choose you?" Lilykit asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know, but I wish I did," Finchkit replied. She looked away from the other kits and the Rock, back towards the place where Windstar had disappeared a while ago. _This is when you come and take me away from here. This is when you come back and tell me that I need to go and find my destiny._

"We all wish we did," Icekit said gently. She gave Finchkit a sympathetic look, and even though Finchkit hadn't said anything about her own death, she wondered if Icekit somehow knew already.

Before any kit could say anything else, Smallkit yawned widely, revealing tiny but sharp teeth. "I'm tired," he complained, and pretty soon there was a clamorous but unanimous agreement that it was time to sleep.

And that was why Finchkit was curled up between Harekit and his sister Willowkit, reflecting over the day and remembering how each kit had died - pardon, _come to StarClan._

 _They need to know the truth,_ Finchkit thought as she squeezed her eyes tightly. She had come to the same conclusion earlier, but every time she seemed to even be about to mention death, Icekit had sent her a sharp look and, in her role as Icestar, leader of WindClan, she would inevitably order Finchkit to go off and hunt in some distant area of "WindClan" territory for a good amount of time. _I'm going to tell them the truth._

"Finchkit." A soft mew disturbed her thoughts. Perking her head up, Finchkit saw that Mothflight had arrived. Her eyes were kind but filled with concern as her gaze raked over the pelts of the many sleeping kits.

"Whozit?" asked the sleepy voice of Leafkit, curled up next to the sleeping body of Falconkit. Several other kits also stared at the newcomer through heavily lidded eyes.

"Go back to sleep, all of you," Mothflight purred. "I just need to talk to Finchkit."

"Night," Finchkit muttered sullenly to the others as she got to her tired paws and carefully navigated her way out of the pile of sleeping kits and finally standing next to Mothflight.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Mothflight mewed, trying to make up as she led the smaller kit away from the others, back in the direction Finchkit had come earlier with Windstar.

Not looking at the older she-cat, Finchkit instead looked up at the stars, spread above them in a beautiful night sky. "S'okay," she mewed at last.

"No, it's not," Mothflight disagreed. "You have an important destiny. You deserve to know the truth."

 _What about the other kits? Don't they deserve to know we're all dead?_ Finchkit wondered, but decided not to ask this question aloud; her relationship with Mothflight was rocky enough, and she figured asking this would only make it worse. Instead she mewed, "If we're in StarClan, how come we can see the stars?"

Mothflight nodded. "Good question. It's a reminder of where we are, who we are, and the infinite knowledge of the stars."

 _I hope the stars knows what they're doing,_ Finchkit thought, somewhat bitter. _Otherwise, I died for nothing._

"And where are we going now?" she asked.

"Back to the Starpool," Mothflight answered. "Something big is happening, something that could change things. A loner and her kit have come to WindClan, and Heatherstar has allowed them to stay."

"Who's Heatherstar?" Finchkit asked.

"WindClan's current leader," Mothflight answered. "But come. This kit who comes with the loner...he could interfere with Tallkit's destiny."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Okay, that was a bit more exciting then the last chapter...at least now you know how all the kits died, if you were wondering...and Mistleaf, you can expect Finn/Cloudfall to appear soon! We'll see how that works out...

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I appreciate all feedback, as long as it's constructive criticism and not just negativity (not that I have experienced any, but...). Y'all are super amazing! And I really hate to say this...but with school starting up again tomorrow, I'll likely be swamped with a crazy workload, but I do have sixth and seventh period off, so that does mean I have time in school to do my homework (or you know, work on my fanfiction but if anyone asks I'm doing my homework), so maybe I will be able to update sooner rather than later. But I can't promise anything...and by the way, sorry for the late update...I promise I will finish this fanfic!

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Mistleaf: Thanks for continuing to read! Like I said, you can definitely expect the first look at Finn...could you give me a brief description of his personality? Just so I can try to write his character like you want...please and thank you! And thanks for reading!

Pancake Unicorn: Well, that is a splendid name! I love it! And thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm sorry that Dapplekit didn't work out for you, and also that I turned Goldkit into a tom...I hope you don't mind...hahaha. But thank you for all the compliments, really appreciated! And hope you enjoy this update...and yes, poor kits. :(


	8. Chapter 7

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Seven

Underneath the sky filled with stars, the Starpool glimmered mysteriously. It's waters were calm, as if the pool was asleep, but when Finchkit looked down on it, the surface rippled as if it could sense her presence.

Reflected in the silver pool was her reflection. This time, instead of comparing herself to Mothflight, who stood silent and waiting a bit behind her, Finchkit examined herself, surprised at what she saw. Like the other kits, her pelt was filled with gleaming stars and her eyes were filled with wisdom beyond her years. But unlike them, her pelt seemed to glow brighter, and her eyes seemed to know more, and perhaps it was only wishful thinking, but Finchkit thought she could see a faint aura of silver lit protectively around her pelt.

"Tallkit," she told the pool once she had had her fill of studying herself.

At once the surface responded, the sleepy little ripples churning into waves and then smoothing out to reveal the same nursery Finchkit had visited before. The warm milky scent of mothers washed over her, bathing her taste buds in sadness and longing. She would never taste her mother's milk, or know what it was like to burrow next to her mother's body.

In the nursery, it was night too. The light of the moon gleamed through open patches of the den, giving the whole room an eerie, almost other-worldly beauty. Some distance away, Finchkit could hear the soft breathing of another queen and her two kits, deep asleep in peaceful dreams, blissfully unaware of a new presence in their home.

But Finchkit wasn't focused on them. In front of her was her mother and her brother, curled next to each other and sleeping too. Palebird seemed fitful; she kept shifting around and disrupting her son's sleep and he struggled to get comfortable next to her every time she moved.

"Finchkit," her mother mewed, and for a moment Finchkit thought Palebird had seen her. And then she realized that Palebird was dreaming.

 _About me?_ Finchkit thought. _Why would she dream about me?_

Finchkit realized that Tallkit was awake now, blinking eyes darkened with night up at her. And for the first time, Finchkit felt actual affection for her brother.

 _He really is small,_ she thought. _And his pelt doesn't gleam like mine. And he doesn't look as wise as all the other kits. Perhaps only in StarClan do kits have eyes that tell of knowledge beyond their age. Maybe I know more than I would've known if I was still alive._

The sadness that had been Finchkit's constant companion rose to a whole new level as she looked down at Tallkit. He was white and black, barely more than a few sunrises old. On shaky paws, he scampered from his nest and paced away from his nest, his tiny pelt trembling with cold. But his eyes fixed upward, as if looking for the being that he could feel gazing down on him.

 _I'll never get to meet him,_ she thought despairingly. _I'll never get to play games other kits play with him, or curl up next to him, or share tongues, or stand with him as we get our apprentice and warrior names, or go on a patrol with him, or...anything._

And for the first time, Finchkit realized what she'd really lost when StarClan had taken her from her family. She'd lost the bond she would've shared with her brother growing up. And she lost him, too.

The affection she felt for him suddenly got doused with hatred. _If you didn't have a stupid big important destiny, then I wouldn't have died, and then I would be down there with you and I wouldn't miss any of it._

"Isn't he wonderful," Mothflight mewed, breaking into Finchkit's bitter thoughts.

 _Wonderful at what? Messing up my life?_ Finchkit wondered to herself.

"Where's the cat you mentioned?" she asked, changing the topic. "The one you said might mess up the destiny?" _And therefore make me die pointlessly?_

"Finn? Hmm, he has yet to arrive," Mothflight replied.

"But you said he was already here," Finchkit pointed out.

"Time can be difficult to judge in StarClan," Mothflight explained gently. "And the stars like to prepare us. Sometimes they give us a vision of something that has yet to pass."

"So Finn's not here yet," Finchkit stated.

"Yes," Mothflight agreed.

"Why am I here, then?" Finchkit asked.

"I thought you might like to see Tallkit for a bit," Mothflight mewed, and her eyes glowed as if this was the best idea ever.

Finchkit swallowed as she looked back down into the Starpool, at Tallkit who had climbed back into his nest and snuggled up agains Palebird's pelt. _This is the opposite of what I'd like,_ she thought to herself.

"I'll leave you here for a bit," Mothflight mewed. "Let you have a few moments alone."

She was gone in a heartbeat, her white tail vanishing into the surrounding trees. And Finchkit was the only one in the clearing.

 _I wish I could talk to him,_ Finchkit thought. She didn't know why she wanted to speak with her brother when she was feeling so bitter towards him, but there was something almost...comforting, maybe, about the prospect of hearing his voice. _It's the only way he'll ever know that I'm here. I wonder if he knows he had a sister._

"Tallkit?" Finchkit mewed hesitantly, leaning down towards the calm silver surface of the Starpool, careful not to touch the waters.

Her brother's eyes remained closed, and he was still in the nest next to Palebird. Her words had gone unheard.

 _Mothflight said StarClan can talk to cats in their dreams,_ Finchkit recalled. _But she didn't say how._

She leaned even closer to the Starpool, so close that, when she called out, her breath sent waves rippling over the pool, disrupting the image just a bit. "Tallkit, can you hear me? Please hear me."

Again, no reaction. She sat back on her haunches, glaring down frustratedly. _Can't work. Won't work._ And then a new voice, _You'll never be heard._

A flash of light caught her eye. Looking up, Finchkit saw that a star was falling from the sky. Like a graceful swan, it came down to the earth, a thin gold trail of fire in its wake. It fell into the Starpool soundlessly. It didn't sizzle or splash. Just seemed to disappear under the surface of the water.

She was hardly that old, but it was the strangest thing Finchkit had ever seen. But she knew what it meant. It had to be a sign from the stars.

 _My first real vision!_ she thought elatedly. _My destiny must be real after all!_

She plunged into the Starpool, only briefly realizing that she didn't know how to swim, and then her head disappeared under.

 _Not a splash,_ she realized when she was belly-deep in the water. _I'm not even making a ripple now, even though I'm in the pool._ She also realized that she was sinking slowly downwards, as if she were descending from StarClan to WindClan.

Within moments, her head had disappeared under the silver waters.

* * *

The first breath was very strange. She could practically feel the silver water filling up her lungs, and she was sure that under normal circumstances she should be drowning, but she felt fine. Her pelt seemed to glow brighter, as if infused with the silver water, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized she was in the WindClan nursery that she'd seen from above. And yet, unlike the surroundings when she was in StarClan, everything was hazy, almost dreamlike, and Finchkit felt strangely sluggish and slow.

 _This must be how we communicate with cats in dreams,_ she thought to herself, and her heart leapt. _Here's my chance to talk to Tallkit. To find out who he is. Maybe we can plan the destiny we're supposed to share._

"Tallkit?" she called, but her voice was strangely muffled. "Tallkit, where are you?"

It was silence for a few heartbeats, and then from seemingly out of nowhere, a small black-and-white kit appeared, and she was face-to-face with her brother. Here she could see him more clearly. He was small and innocent-looking, much like the other StarClan kits she'd met, but his pelt was plain and dull, and his eyes only glimmered with hints of the moonlight leaking into the nursery. He knew nothing more than what he'd seen in his very brief life, unlike Finchkit who seemed to have the wisdom of a cat who'd lived much longer and seen much more.

He blinked at her. "Who are you? And why am I not in the nursery anymore?"

 _Huh?_ Finchkit thought in confusion, looking around to double-check her surroundings. They were most certainly in the nursery. Behind Tallkit, she was sure she could make out the sleeping form of the other queen and her kits, and she was also positive she could hear the gentle sounds of Palebird's breathing as she slept. And if Finchkit went outside the den, she was sure she would find herself in the middle of the WindClan camp. _We are definitely in the nursery. So why is Tallkit saying we aren't?_

"We are in the nursery, Tallkit," she mewed.

"How do you know my name?" he asked, his tiny pelt bristling with suspicion. "Where are we? Who are you?"

"I'm Finchkit," she replied. "You're sister. I died after I was born."

He gave her an extremely dubious look. "Palebird said I was the only kit she had," he announced. "You're a liar."

Anger flared in Finchkit's chest. "I am not a liar! I'm telling you the truth! You and I, we have an important destiny."

"I must be dreaming," Tallkit decided. "You're super weird and crazy. How do I get back into the nursery?" Turning away from her, he began to wander away.

Finchkit ignored his insulting words. "We are already in the nursery, brainless."

The look Tallkit sent back at her was one of puzzlement. "Maybe you're dreaming instead? Because we're in the forest, and I've never been there, and I'm sure Barkkit and Shrewkit would've come with me if I left the nursery on my own and went on an adventure. They're going to be super jealous when I tell them where I've been! Assuming this isn't a dream, though. But it must be, because I don't even remember coming out here!"

 _So am I dreaming, or is he?_ she wondered. _How does this work?_

Tallkit was moving away, disappearing into the fog that was descending down from nowhere, hazing the once fairly clear details of the nursery, moving out of sight.

"Wait!" she called after him. "We need to talk!"

Yawning widely, Tallkit didn't pause. "I'm sleepy. I need to sleep. Talk later."

And no matter what Finchkit yelled after him, he didn't return, and the silver water was disorienting Finchkit. She couldn't tell which way was up, and the nursery around her had vanished to be replaced by calm swirling currents.

She glared in the direction she thought her brother had vanished, hating him more than ever. _I know he exists, I know he's my brother. It's only fair that he should know I was his sister! How can he care so little about me, or his destiny? It's so important, and yet all he wants to do is sleep. I should never have talked to him._ After that little conversation, she felt more alone than ever. What if Tallkit, with his seemingly careless attitude, never grew up to fulfill his destiny because he just wanted to sleep? What if that meant Finchkit couldn't fulfill hers either, because one half of the prophecy wasn't coming true, so therefore the whole prophecy had to fail? What if she really hadn't needed to die, and her death was pointless, and she was just going to wander around StarClan aimlessly for the rest of eternity thinking about the destiny she was supposed to have but hadn't because of her lazy sleeping annoyingly lucky brother who couldn't appreciate what he had and -

Her angry thoughts broke off as she realized with delayed alarm that, now that the nursery had disappeared, she was no longer in a dream, but actually in water. Water that she couldn't breathe. Water in which she didn't know how to swim, even if she did figure out which direction was up.

Panic took hold, and thrashing, Finchkit flailed her paws. _Can I die in StarClan? What happens to me then? Do I go to StarClan Two or something, where twice-dead StarClan cats watch over only once-dead StarClan cats? Maybe I become a star?_

For a moment her movement ceased. _You know, I wouldn't mind becoming a star. Then_ I _could make up these stupid prophecies and make other cats suffer and have a good laugh._ But this thought made her start fighting for life - er, death? - again at the thought that somewhere up there in StarClan Two or whatever, there were cats laughing at her fate.

Her efforts were futile. Her limbs turned to lead, her lungs were bursting with need for oxygen, and her body seemed to be shutting down, preparing itself for death. _I'll never fulfill my destiny,_ she thought hopelessly. _I'll never be anything more than the long-dead sister of that cat with a great destiny._

She closed her eyes, feeling a calm silence overtake her as death dragged her by her scruff out of the water.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Well, that was rather dark...but I was aiming to show Finchkit's struggle when she first meets/talks to her brother, even if it was only in a dream.

Writing the dream part of this chapter made me wonder; we've never seen dreams from a StarClan cat's point of view in the canon series, I don't believe, so we don't know what it looks like to them when they visit another cat's sleep. Is it different for them? I don't know, but this is my take on what it might look like from a StarClan's point of view. For Finchkit, I kind of made it seem like Tallkit might've been a StarClan cat, like he was the one visiting _her_ dreams, with both him appearing at her call and also disappearing when she didn't want him to. I also wonder if the living cat and the StarClan cats see the same thing; in this story, Finchkit believed she was in the nursery, while Tallkit believed he was in a forest.

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys think about StarClan dreams?

I'm also hoping there might be some more action in the next chapter. I hope this wasn't too boring.

BUT GUYS, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS! I APPRECIATE THEM SO MUCH AND YOU ALL ARE AMAZING! Seriously. You make my day when you leave a review, or follow/favorite this story. Knowing people enjoy this writing does serious stuff to my self-esteem. :)

 **MyPatronusIsEmberdawn:** Yeah, for some reason, when I replaced that notice for kits with the actual chapter five, it didn't send out a notification that I'd updated. I guess it doesn't count as an update when you just replace a chapter? I'm not sure. But I'm glad you're enjoying this! I really appreciate all your support. As for the fan fictions of yours, I read both your Harry Potter ones ("Abracadabra!") and also Ember's Journey. I really hope you'll keep up your writing! You are an amazing author. Thanks for reading!

 **Jadewolf334:** I want you to know that I'm sending you millions of hugs and thank-yous. I really appreciate your reviews and support so much! I can't put into words how thankful I am. I'm so glad you like this story, and that you find the concept of Finchkit's afterlife interesting. I find it very difficult to find very many stories featuring mainly StarClan cats. And I'm also really glad you like Finchkit's character. I'm always worried a bit that, with her thoughts, she might come off a bit annoying...oh yes, and though Finchkit is a newborn, she has gained lots of wisdom by dying, if that makes sense. A lot of times in the books, StarClan cats are described as having lots of knowledge, and I can remember when Finchkit gives Tallstar a life at the end of Tallstar's revenge, she was described of being wise beyond her years. In my opinion, StarClan cats, no matter their age, have gained insight by dying. I tried to clear that up a bit in this chapter by having Finchkit note that her brother clearly only knows the things he'd been told and experienced, so I hope that clears up your confusion! :)

I can't say much about the WindClan kits, because that might spoil the story. ;) And we'll see about what Finchkit does...but you'll definitely get to learn about those kits. I'm really glad you love this story! That's a really big compliment for me, and like I said earlier, I'm so thankful to you and all your support. Thanks for reading!

 **BooksRCoolYeah:** No problem! Thank you for letting me use them! I'm glad you like this story. There will definitely be more about Grasskit, Skykit, Rabbitkit, and Snowkit, along with all the other kits. Although I'm still brainstorming about how they may have died, I'm thinking their deaths will be pretty important in the story plot. Keep reading to find out! I appreciate all your support and reviews! Thanks for reading!

 **Snowcrystal of Tunderclan:** I'm glad you like Chapter Five! Hopefully you'll know more after reading this one too. I really appreciate your support! It means a lot. Thanks for reading!

 **Pancake Unicorn:** Phew. It's a relief to know that the last chapter was satisfying. It's good to know that you're okay with Goldkit being a tom, and I'm sorry that I changed his gender without asking. Looking back a few chapters, I realized that I described a golden tom without naming him, and having already identified all the other kits except Goldkit, I realized that I had to make him that tom for continuity...No problem, and I thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and thanks for reading!

 **Ivyfrost-from-Shadowclan:** First I'd like to say that I really appreciate all your reviews. Also, thank you! Finchkit is a very interesting character to write for, and sometimes it's very easy to think like she would, and I can easily relate to her. Other times, I'm not sure how her character might react in a situation, so I have to write several versions of the same scene where she has different reactions and thoughts, and then decide which version I like better, or mold multiple versions of the same scene into one so that all the qualities I liked the best are in the actual story. And thank you for the compliment! It means a lot, and I am thankful for your support. Thanks for reading!

 **Mistleaf:** Thank you for telling me all about Finn/Cloudfall and his family. You included great details and I have a strong sense of the character, and I'm working on a scene currently between him and Finchkit to help explore his personality more. Not sure if the scene will appear in the story, but Finn/Cloudfall certainly will! Just one last question. Would you prefer him to grow up and get his warrior name in WindClan, or die shortly after arriving there with his mother, become part of StarClan, and get his name there somehow? I'm thinking the latter might work best, because it might be part of the plot...it would mean, though, that he wouldn't grow up but be about Finchkit's age, and I'm not sure if I'd be able to work in Doespring's crush on him. I'd like your input, so please tell me! Please and thank you. And I really appreciate all your support and your enthusiasm for your character in this story! I'm really looking forward to introducing Finn/Cloudfall in the upcoming chapters. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 8

Before we begin, I'd like to thank you all for your support! It really means a lot to me, and I can't express how grateful I am!

But on with the story.

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Eight

Gasping, Finchkit drew in a shuddering breath. Her eyes were squeezed tight, and she was shivering like mad. _Am I in StarClan Two?_ she wondered, coughing up silver water. _It doesn't feel much different._

"Who are you?" she choked out.

"A cat who is currently _beyond_ furious at you," the sharp mew of Mothflight replied. Finchkit, while relieved that she was still in StarClan and hadn't gone somewhere else, knew she was in trouble. She didn't have to see the she-cat to know how absolutely livid Mothflight was.

The old WindClan medicine cat set Finchkit on the ground roughly. "What were you thinking?" she snarled at the young kit. "Oh wait, I suppose you weren't, were you?"

The sandy kit flinched. Her gratitude had been brief like most of the happy emotions she'd experienced, and it took flight on wings and fled. She now felt nothing but bitterness at the cat who'd saved her from certain re-death. _I'm so stupid. She probably thinks I'm a helpless kit now, and thinks I'm not good enough for my destiny!_

"I'm sorry," Finchkit murmured, trying to keep the resentfulness out of her mew.

"I'M SORRY?" Mothflight exploded. "I'M SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT! YOU COULD'VE DIED! AND ALL YOUR HOPEFUL THOUGHTS ABOUT DESTINY WOULD'VE BEEN ALL IN VAIN! YOU WOULDN'T HAVE HAD ONE!"

Finchkit supposed she should've been cowering in fear and shame. Instead, she glared harshly at Mothflight. "You can't tell me what to do! You don't know what I was doing!"

"That's exactly it!" Mothflight mewed, her voice still raised. She took a huge breath, as if trying to calm her fiery rage. "That's exactly it, Finchkit," she repeated, sounding more level-headed. "I don't know what you were doing. What was I to think when I saw you thrashing around like that in the pool? You're only a kit! You didn't know what would happen if you did that, so why in all of StarClan's sake would you do that?"

"I was trying to talk to my brother!" Finchkit snapped. "Try to figure out what we're supposed to do."

"That's not how it works, Finchkit," Mothflight sighed, shaking her head and closing her eyes, as if giving up.

"Well, then how _does_ it work?" Finchkit asked waspishly. "Maybe if you'd actually tell me things, then I wouldn't go around doing stupid stuff!"

But Mothflight shook her head again. "I know this is a big thing, your destiny and the prophecy and your brother and all that, but it's too early. You're too young to know everything."

"And are you just saying that because I'm a kit?" Finchkit accused. "When will I be old enough? I've talked to the other kits, and some of them have been here even longer than I'm sure you have, and they don't know _anything_ about why they're here! I guess they're just too young to know? Even though they have a right to know that they're dead?"

The older she-cat looked weary. "Finchkit, I know it might seem like we haven't told those kits anything, but we're doing our best. It's hard. They're in StarClan, yes, so they're wiser than most kits would be at their age, but they are still kits. We're trying to pro - "

"To _protect_ them?" Finchkit interrupted, finishing the sentence. "That's not protecting them! If I didn't have a destiny, then you wouldn't have told me I'd died, would you? You would've been happy to let me carelessly play on that Rock all the kits love so much! You would've been happy to let me go without knowing the truth about why I was here, that I was really dead. Those kits out there, they don't know why they're here! They think they've been chosen, and they're fine with it, unquestioning. They don't know what's happened to their families or why they're not in their Clan or why they'll never grow up. They deserve to know the truth!"

"I agree completely, Finchkit," Mothflight began.

Once again the younger kit interrupted. "Then why don't you do something about it? Why don't you tell them?"

Mothflight looked pained. "I would if I could, but it's more complicated than that. StarClan can't decide everything. We look to the stars for our answers."

"So now you're blaming the stars?" Finchkit snapped. All of her emotions - anger, hurt, jealousy, resent, hatred, fear, confusion, and more - seemed to build up in her. And Mothflight - well, not only was she the nearest cat, but Finchkit was already not very fond of her - was getting the brunt of it all.

"No - " Mothflight tried. Her eyes were widened almost comically.

"You're blaming the stars for a choice you - and all of StarClan - have made for yourself?" Finchkit cut across. "What can the stars say? How can you trust stars enough to do what you think they say?"

"Enough to take the life of a cat," Mothflight mewed softly.

"Is that really what the stars said?" Finchkit inquired cruelly. "Is that really what they said, or are you just seeing make-believe signs in the stars, signs that you interpret to mean what you want? Maybe it was really you who wanted me dead!"

Mothflight seemed to swell. "StarClan is many things, but we are not cruel. We would not take the life of a kit, a kit who could've lead a wonderful life in her Clan, without good reason."

"But you did," Finchkit mewed, and her voice cracked as her anger seemed to leave her. "You did take me. You said I could've lived a good life in WindClan. I could've grown up with my mother and my brother and my father. I could've gotten my apprentice name. I could've been a medicine cat, or grown up to be leader. Finchstar. Can you imagine?"

The older she-cat looked down at her paws, her ears lying flat. She truly did look sorry. "I can imagine," she agreed, and then looked back up at Finchkit, her eyes impossibly sad. "But it wasn't meant to be."

There was a heartbeat of silence, and then Finchkit mewed, so quietly it was barely more than a whisper, "I wish it was."

Quiet once again claimed the clearing. The only sounds were of the leaves of the surrounding trees rustling in a breeze so soft it was nearly nonexistent, and the smooth rippling noises of the silver pond that had nearly taken Finchkit's afterlife. The sounds were so casual, so mundane, that often they went unappreciated, just background noise without any emotion. Perhaps it was because of everything that had just happened, but now they sounded lost and sad. They reminded Finchkit of a world she would never be a part of, so real when she herself was not. She longed for the silence to be broken, for the sound of voices to chase the sound of nature away. But she herself had nothing more she wanted to say, and she didn't want Mothflight to speak again for fear that her anger would be incited.

But Mothflight did speak again, in the soft and gentle mew of a storyteller. "A long time ago," she started, "long before your parents were alive and Heatherstar was leader of WindClan, there was a she-cat. This she-cat had her Clan's best intentions at heart, but she was constantly distracted by everything that went about around her, and while she meant no ill towards her Clan, sometimes her distractions caused problems." She paused a moment to study her audience, who shifted on her paws before settling down on the ground, curling in on herself. Then Mothflight continued. "One day, this she-cat saw a butterfly - a beautiful butterfly - flitting in the sky gracefully. Forgetting everything, she chased after it, not letting it out of her sight for a moment. She knew it was a very important butterfly, something that would lead her Clan to something new. But she was so distracted by the butterfly that she paid no attention to her surroundings. And that was a big mistake, because the butterfly led her to a Thunderpath, and without looking she darted onto it and nearly got run over by a monster."

Again she paused before continuing. "The she-cat's mother was very angry. So angry that she decided to exile the she-cat from her Clan."

 _Windstar said something about exiling her daughter from her Clan,_ Finchkit recalled as Mothflight went on. _So the she-cat must be Mothflight._ She thought it was strange, looking at the old medicine cat. It was difficult to picture Mothflight as a living, careless, and distracted cat when she was dead, careful, and so much more put together now.

"The she-cat was very sad that she'd been exiled from her Clan," Mothflight went on. "She left her Clan behind, unsure of where she should go next, upset and angry at her fate. She was sure StarClan was to blame for what had happened, wondering what this exile of her Clan meant for her future. But then she realized that StarClan had intended this diverted path for her from the beginning - she found the Moonstone, and returned quickly to her Clan to share the news. She brought together three other cats, and the four became the Clans' first ever medicine cats, and the she-cat walked paw-in-paw with StarClan, saving her Classmates from their troubles, until the end of her days in WindClan. And then she came to StarClan, and learned to walk paw-in-paw with her old Clan and how to interpret the messages of the stars, greeting each new cat as their time below expired and their time up here began."

There was finality in this sentence, and Mothflight fell silent. "The end," she added, as if she wanted to announce the story's ending.

She gave Finchkit a hopeful look.

"Splendid," the kit mewed. "Fantastic. Fabulous."

Mothflight seemed to overlook her sarcasm. "Thank you. Now, it's been a long day and it's time for you to go to sleep."

"Okay," Finchkit mewed agreeably.

"We'll head back to the Rock so you can sleep with the others," Mothflight decided. "Let's go."

Finchkit shook her head. "I can find my own way back. You don't need to come with me. _Please don't come with me,_ her brain pleaded.

The old medicine cat hesitated. "Very well. I could do with some sleep myself. I'll come for you in the morning again. Until then, get a good night's rest. I'll see you later."

"Sure, goodnight," Finchkit replied. Realizing that Mothflight was waiting for her to leave, Finchkit got to her paws, padding away from the Starpool and the worriedly looking white she-cat, heading in the general direction of the Rock. However, when she got far enough into the forest, she doubled back, creeping along the path towards the Starpool once more until she hid herself in a bush where she could clearly see Mothflight, but couldn't be seen herself.

Mothflight was looking up at the stars. "Oh, my stars," she whispered, her new imploring. "Have I done what is right? You have guided me countless times. Please show me the way."

There was no response.

 _Do the stars really see the future? They can't. They're so far away, and they don't have mouths so they can't talk._ A rustling of leaves brought Finchkit from her thinking. Mothflight was gone.

Now it was time.

With hesitant paw steps, Finchkit walked until she was standing at the edge of the Starpool once more, gazing down into its silvery depths. _This pool can show me anything. I know what happened earlier, but I've learned my lesson now. I couldn't talk to my brother, so maybe I can talk to somebody else. Now, what was the new cat's name?_

Feeling triumphant, Finchkit announced confidently, "Finn."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** That was kind of a sad chapter...anyways, like I said at the beginning, thank you all so much for all of your continued support! It's really amazing and inspiring. I appreciate you all so much!

Other than that, I really don't have much to say! Read and review, as always! Eriously, hearing from you guys keeps me going. Thanks for reading!

 **jadewolf334:** You will never cease to be incredible! I know I've said it a lot but I'm super thankful for all your support! Keep up your amazingness! I am so happy to know that you like this story! And your welcome! And by the way, the last chapter of your Wings of Fire story was excellent! Hope you update soon, and thanks for reading!

 **MyPatronusIsEmberdawn:** Thank you so much! I put a lot of work into this and it's so nice to know that you like what I've written! You're amazing! And I really loved your stories. I hope to see more from you! Thank you so much for reading.

 **Mistleaf:** Okay! I will definitely work those details with Finn into the story. I like it! And thank you for telling me. Much appreciated. And you can expect Finn to appear in a "dream" in the next chapter. Thank you so much for all your support and your OC! I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Thank you so much for reading!

 **Pancake Unicorn:** I agree! It's very different to see a StarClan cat enter anither's dream. It's good to know you enjoyed that portion of the story and found it intruiging. I'm SUPER sorry if Tallkit seemed out of character...I was trying to make the kits' interaction fit into the plot as a whole and I guess I failed with Tallkit's personality. I'm so sorry if that ruined the chapter for you, and in future chapters I will try to make Tallkit seem more like himself. Thanks for the critique! And thanks so much for reading!

 **Snowcrystal of Thunderclan:** First, THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU ARE AWESOME. Second, I totally agree. It would be very interesting to see a super edition or something from a StarClan cat's point if view. And it kind of just occurred to me that there hasn't been one. Third, I agree again. Poor Finchkit! Although I really can't say anything because I wrote that chapter...and I'm sorry, but this chapter did not really do much to make her happy...but this story will have a happy ending! Just not there, and I haven't thought of one yet. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 9

I remain ever so grateful to all of you who read and review this piece of work! It makes me so happy to see feedback and pushes me even more to write. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

But on with the story.

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Nine

After the image became clear, Finchkit plunged into the Starpool. This time she didn't feel as disoriented or confused. _I am going to see Finn, who is important,_ she thought confidently. _This is part of my destiny. If I want to walk the path I'm supposed to, I have to work for it, no matter what Mothflight or any other cat says._

The world materialized around her. Blinking a bit because the moon, shining above, full, was so bright, she took in her surroundings.

She was in a forest clearing, similar to the one that the Starpool was in in StarClan, but, perhaps because she was in the living world, somehow this place seemed more real, sturdier under her small paws. Here, she could hear the sounds of nocturnal creatures moving around in the brush, the sound of crickets. It was leafbare, and the ground was covered in a fine layer of frost that kissed Finchkit's fur, cold enough to make her shiver. But the air hummed with warmth, and the trees kept out any chilly wind that might've been blowing out in the open.

Leaves, rotting and wet with melted snow, made soft rustling sounds as Finchkit walked, moving in a direction that seemed to lead the right way. She saw no sign of Finn; not that she knew what he looked like, but as she'd seen no other cat, she knew she hadn't seen him.

It was dark out, and the trees made the night even darker. She supposed that normally, she would've been scared to walk alone in a forest at night, but she knew that this was only a dream, and she knew that nothing could hurt her. She wasn't sure where this reassurance came from; certainly anything could leap out of the brush and finish her off in less than a few heartbeats, and then perhaps she'd be off to StarClan Two - but somehow, she knew that this would never happen.

"Hello?" Finchkit called out tentatively after the forest clearing came to an end and, having seen no sign of life other than a few mice and voles (which she didn't even attempt to catch because she knew she wouldn't be able to), entered the the tree-filled part of the forest. She wasn't afraid, but she didn't like the idea of plunging into the dense part of the forest where the moonlight couldn't reach her. By doing so, it was almost like she was lost to StarClan.

"Hello?" she called again. "Finn? Are you out there? I want to talk to you." _I need to find out why Mothflight was so worried about him interfering with Tallkit's destiny. I need to figure out who he is, and who his mother is, and why he's coming to the Clan. But most importantly, I need to figure out what part he'll play in_ my _destiny._

There was silence. An owl hooted in the distance, but other than that, she got no response to her plea.

 _I thought the Starpool was supposed to take me to the cat I want to see,_ Finchkit thought with muted frustration. _It can't be broken. How can water be broken? Unless it's ice, but then it's not really water, I guess._

She made to turn back to the clearing, and that was when something pounced on her from behind.

"Off my territory!" squeaked a voice. She whirled around, claws extended, trying to retaliate to the attack. She caught a glimpse of white, and saw the figure of a kit not much older than she was. It shouldn't have been that difficult to fight him, or at least land a blow to his flank, but even though he was young, he already seemed an expert at battling, his tactic perfect, his position flawless. He was just near enough to attack her, but just out of reach for Finchkit to hurt him back.

Or maybe she was just so useless when it came to battle, even a kit could beat her.

 _You're a kit too,_ Finchkit reminded herself, but then added, _Yeah, but I've got a DESTINY. That means I'm no ordinary kit!_

Another voice added, _But that doesn't mean you're going to be exceptional at everything._

The kit pinned her to the ground, letting out a triumphant yowl. "Pinned ya!" he crowed.

"Oof," Finchkit moaned. "Get off me."

To her surprise, the kit complied. "Yeah, okay. I see you really aren't a threat. Where'd you even learn to fight? I mean, I guess you probably didn't because you failed at doing anything. I'm not even hurt!" He looked proudly at his pelt, which was only slightly ruffled but otherwise untouched.

Finchkit, on the other hand, could feel stinging. Glancing down at her own fur, she could see blood oozing from claw marks. "What right do you have to shred me like that?" she shot back. "I was just walking by, minding my own business!"

The white kit shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that? Anyway, my mother says there are big scary wildcats who live around these parts, and you might've been one! Although, you were pretty small."

"Exactly," Finchkit snapped. "Do I even look like a scary wildcat?"

He appeared to take the question seriously. "Well, not really. But you kind of smell like the scent my mother showed me earlier today."

"I smell?" Finchkit asked, unsure whether she was offended or not.

The kit nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. You smell like heather and the wind."

Finchkit tried not to feel happy and hopeful at this statement. She looked down at her pelt again, eyes glossing over the injuries she'd sustained from the not-really-battle she'd just been through. _Can it be,_ she wondered, _that even though I haven't ever lived in WindClan, I still smell like the wind?_

But that didn't make sense. None of the other cat she met smelled like the Clan they'd belonged to. Mothflight and Windstar hadn't smelled of wind or heather. And even though she didn't know the scents of ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan, all of the other kits she met smelled of nothing but the sky and stars.

"So, I take it you aren't a wildcat?" asked the kit, licking his front paw and then swiping it over his ear. He sounded very conversational and not at all threatening.

"I am," Finchkit mewed. _But not really. I didn't live in WindClan. I'm in StarClan now. Was I ever 'wild'?_

"Hmm," the kit mused. "I'm Finn, by the way."

 _So the Starpool isn't broken,_ Finchkit reflected. _It led me to the right place, but the cat I wanted to see was hiding._ She settled for glaring at the kit - Finn.

"Um," Finn mewed, shifting a bit awkwardly. "This is usually the part where you introduce yourself."

"I'm someone important," Finchkit replied, trying to sound wise and, well, important.

"Really?" Finn mewed doubtfully. "You know, I think in a way every cat is important. So in that case, I'm someone important too."

The she-kit deflated. She knew she probably would sound whiny to everyone else, how she kept wishing everyone else would stop being so important, how she kept wishing her destiny meant she was special, but she couldn't help it. Her life had literally been torn away from her. Knowing - thinking - she had a destiny was the only the thing that stopped her from screaming and crying and trying to find some way to get back to WindClan so that she could actually live.

"But okay, someone important," Finn broke across her thoughts, seeming to sense her distress at what he'd stated previously. "I have a big question for you. Do the wildcats here really eat rabbits live, and the bones of the cats they catch trespassing on their territory?" His piercing blue eyes widened as he asked this question, as if he saw a future where large cats with long teeth and sharp claws picked apart at his body, eating it for a meal.

Finchkit recoiled. The cats she'd met definitely seemed like the opposite of those who would kill and eat any cat. "Um, how would you eat a rabbit live?" she asked. "It would be all wriggly and impossible to swallow."

Finn shrugged again. "I suppose. But that's what's the legends say. And you're one, even though you're small. So is it true?"

The she-kit hunched her shoulders, looking at her paws which felt too small, her paws that would never grow because she would never age. "I wouldn't know."

"But you live with them," Finn protested.

 _I haven't been alive long enough with them to know anything,_ she answered snarkily in her mind. _I'll only ever be this big and this old, having lived only_ _heartbeats before I died._

"Yes," she mewed aloud. "And no."

The white kit cocked his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean I lived with them, but not really," Finchkit elaborated. "I'm not alive, Finn."

His reaction was so funny she almost purred in amusement. But that declaration, announced aloud by herself, was like she finally surrendered. Sure, she'd been thinking the same thing - _I'm dead, I'm not alive, I'm dead_ \- over and over in her mind, but it was strange to actually confess this out loud.

"YOU'RE DEAD?" he yelped, his fur on end. "WHAT DID I EAT FOR DINNER? I MUST BE CRAZY. I'M TALKING TO A DEAD CAT." He got control of himself. "But wait, you CAN'T be dead. I'm talking to you. You're really here. I attacked you - I injured you!" He glanced at her pelt, and nearly fainted when he saw that the injuries he'd inflicted on her had closed - when had that happened?

"I'm talking to you from a dream," Finchkit explained with a strange gentleness that she didn't know she was capable of possessing. "Those wildcats? I was one of them. There are four living Clans of wildcats. I was from WindClan. But now I'm in StarClan, the Clan of the dead."

Finn shook his head from side to side, his ears flopping around a bit with the jerky motion. "This is so weird. Am I hallucinating? This is like the time I had a yew berry and thought my cousin Ash was going to turn me into a worm and eat me!"

"You aren't hallucinating," Finchkit assured him, feeling a bit annoyed with his disbelief. "I'm really dead, I'm really in StarClan, and I'm really visiting you from a dream."

"I guess," he agreed, though he still sounded doubtful. "I'm definitely not imaginative enough to come up with all this. So, assuming this is real and everything, why are you here?"

"Because you're part of my destiny," Finchkit asserted immediately.

She was surprised to see him remain skeptical. She wasn't sure what she'd expected him to do now, but she'd hoped for _something_ other than increased doubt.

"So I guess I am important, then?" he mewed at last. "But why me? Why are you here? What am I supposed to do? If you're from StarClan, why are you visiting me, when I'm not even part of a Clan?"

"Because - " Finchkit began, and then cut herself off. She realized now how risky it was to talk to the world of the living, even in a dream. Knowing a bit about Finn's future, she found it very difficult not to tell him anything.

"Because what?" he inquired.

And Finchkit found herself replying, "Because it's what the stars foretold."

 _I hate myself,_ she thought, mentally berating herself. _Now I sound like a typical StarClan cat, believing that stars somehow control a cat's destiny. I'm so hypocritical._

Finn looked amused by her answer. "So you can talk to the stars? That's pretty cool. But why did the stars choose me? Can you ask them?"

He probably wasn't intending to tease her, but he sounded a bit condescending, at least to Finchkit. She flared up. "No, I _cannot_ just ask the stars. It doesn't work like that." _Oh my dear -_ but she didn't have anything to pray to. She couldn't say StarClan, because she was of StarClan and she kind of hated them anyway, and she didn't know what else would work. _Oh my dear non-existent something, I'm just getting worse. 'It doesn't work like that.' Why can I see Mothflight repeating those exact same words to someone else?_

"It was just a question," Finn defended.

"I think I better get going," Finchkit announced. _I found Finn, but he doesn't know anything about the future, obviously. He doesn't even know he'll ever be part of WindClan! I need to think of something else, but I'm lost now. What else can I possibly do? Do I really have to wait?_

And while she was thinking all these deep thoughts about life - afterlife - she could also mentally scold herself for the things she'd told Finn - things involving stars.

"Oh," Finn mewed. "Okay. How do you leave my dream?"

 _I don't know,_ Finchkit thought. She was in a pool. Given, a pool of water that she could breath and move around in as if she were on land, but still a pool. So, logically, she should just swim up and make it to the surface, out of Finn's dream, right?

She tried to do just that, but quickly realized that it wasn't working and that Finn was trying to suppress his amusement. "You look funny," he mewed. "But to be fair I have no idea how to get you out of my dream either."

 _What happened last time, with Tallkit?_ Finchkit attempted to recall. _He must've_ -

"Wake up," she instructed Finn.

He blinked at her. "What?"

"Wake up," she repeated. "It's your dream. And dreams only end when whoever's having them wakes up."

"Oh," Finn nodded. "How do I wake up?"

"I don't know!" she replied frustratedly. "You just open your eyes?"

"But my eyes are open," he mewed as if this were obvious, which it was. "Maybe if I poke myself with a claw?" he did so. "Nope, you're still here."

 _Or maybe I have to wake up, if I'm dreaming,_ Finchkit thought.

* * *

There was no struggle in the water this time, a desperate battle to reach the surface for air. Suddenly Finchkit found herself on the shore of the Starpool, the silver waters glistening demurely, and she didn't know how she'd gotten there.

For a moment she gazed at the pool, struggling to recall everything that had just happened. She'd met the cat, Finn, who was somehow important. And she was no closer to her destiny. The prophecy rang in her ears, still just as frustratingly mysterious as it had always been.

 _In two different worlds, they will walk the same paths._

She was so caught up in thinking she didn't notice that she had company until the new cat spoke.

"So, what are you going to do?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Okay, this was a pretty long chapter, which I guess isn't a bad thing! Here's the first glimpse of Mistleaf's OC, Finn, who will have a fairly prominent role in this story.

Two things, really quick. First off, I'm trying to keep this story as close to the actual series and plot line as possible, but there may be some canon divergence. Finn/Cloudfall will be the only non-canon thing about this story. So...yeah. Otherwise, I'll try my best to stick to the events of Tallstar's Revenge. Additionally, I apologize if anyone thinks Finchkit sounds super whiny. I know her thoughts are kind of repetitive, but I'm attempting to really convey how dismayed she is at her death and how much she really wants to be important. It's kind of like this: if Finchkit had died like she had in the book, but Tallkit didn't have some big destiny he needed to fulfill, she would've been okay with that. But because she died for his destiny, she feels like she too needs to be important. It's sort of like sibling competitiveness, if you get what I mean.

Secondly, I would like to thank you all again for all the lovely reviews! It means so much, and they really motivate me to write. Virtual kisses and hugs to you all!

 **MyPatronusIsEmberdawn:** Thank you! Haha, she does, doesn't she? Pretty rebellious, but she's going to need that trait...Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate all your support!

 **Remained unnamed:** Thank you! AND MERE WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE ALL THE THANKS I HAVE FOR YOUR SUPPORT. Really, thanks so much. And in the next few chapters, I will try to make Icekit more cold like you described. I wasn't sure what her personality was exactly, but I'll make her less sympathetic. Would you hate me if she was a bit of an antagonist? And you're fine, I'm glad you clarified for me. I'm glad you think this is pretty authentic, that makes me really happy! Yup, Finchkit could pass for a typical teenager, and yes, I am possibly a bit psychic and might be reading your mind. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Pancake Unicorn:** Okay, I'll still make sure to improve Tallkit's character next time he's written into the story. But thank you for the compliment! Please don't cry! Although I'm glad the last chapter had the intended effect - I wanted it to be sad. Hope you enjoyed Finn's character. Thank you, and I'll always be thankful for your support! Thanks for reading and revieiwing!

 **Hand Knit:** Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy reading this story! It means a lot to me. I do wonder if it's possible for that to happen, a kit wandering into StarClan without dying. I'm not sure, but I'll definitely think about maybe writing something like that as a sequel. I'll have to do my research, maybe look for a kit that disappeared in the canon series but never was confirmed dead. Anyway, thank you so much! I really appreciate the time you took to read this! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **jadewolf334:** Finchkit really is, isn't she? Finchkit would like to thank you for your compliment! :). And I apologize for Finchkit's mean thoughts about Mothflight, but I'm glad you enjoyed their confrontation. I really don't believe Mothflight is a terrible cat. It's more like because she received the prophecy concerning the littermates, she got the responsibility of dealing with Finchkit, who is rather moody, dumped on her, and Finchkit is angry at her death so poor Mothflight is like the object of all her anger. And while Mothflight really does mean well, Finchkit kind of just interprets everything the wrong way. And I do agree with StarClan. Sometimes while reading the actual book, I get upset with some of the choices they make, so that frustration kind of carried over to this story. I'm glad you found parts of this amusing! That's always good to hear, because it's always a challenge to balance out the serious with the silly. I agree, I find StarClan Two oddly amusing (I wonder if there's such thing as that?) I'm glad you enjoy this story! And in response to your response to my response, No problem! You're a great writer and I enjoy reading what you've written. Please update soon! I must know what happens to Cascavel and Rosewood and everyone else. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	11. Chapter 10

Well, I meant to have this chapter out yesterday...

Excuses, excuses, self. These people are amazing, and you're just too lazy to write anything.

That's not true, self! I totally was writing yesterday...just not this...

Seriously, guys, I can't say enough thank yous for all the feedback I receive! Really, I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read this! And sorry that I didn't have this out earlier...

But on with the story.

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Ten

Skykit was a light gray tabby she-kit with white paws and a white tail tip, named for her sky blue eyes. Her pelt, while sleek, was, like all her littermates, marred with healed over wounds, and the aura she carried with her was that of a kit who had seen too much for her young age. She seemed angry, yet her expression and posture was relaxed and at ease, although Finchkit figured that the other could leap to her paws in a heartbeat.

"Excuse me?" she repeated, unsure whether or not she'd actually heard the kit speak. Earlier, at the Rock, neither Skykit nor her littermates, Grasskit, Rabbitkit, or Snowkit, really spoke. So it was strange to hear one of them talk, or to find another kit here by the Starpool at all.

 _But these kits,_ Finchkit reminded herself, _are different. They know we're dead._

Skykit responded, lifting her chin a bit higher as she repeated, "I'll repeat, what are you going to do now?" She paused for a moment, studying Finchkit, and when the younger kit didn't respond, Skykit continued, "Now that you've met Finn, now that you've seen your brother. Now that you've heard the prophecy. Now that you know the truth about all of the other kits."

Finchkit, in truth, was so lost, both physically and mentally. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't want to go back to the Rock, to the past when she was just another kit who didn't know the truth about StarClan. But the future didn't look much better either.

Perhaps that was why StarClan never told the kits about their deaths. If they did, then there would be myriads of kits like Finchkit - depressed, alone, not understanding, confused, wanting to know more.

Finchkit settled for, "How do you know about all that?"

Skykit flicked her white-tipped tail. "There's more than one way to visit other cats' dreams," she replied mysteriously. "And StarClan doesn't just visit the dreams of living cats."

The other kit thought about that for a moment, pondering Skykit's words. From what she'd learned from Mothflight, and a bit from Windstar, she'd been under the impression that destiny only happened in the living world - she, of course, being an exception to that statement. She'd thought that only the living cats held important paths; that when a cat died, they faded to the background, they were not longer that important, they no longer got involved in prophetic futures...

But it seemed Finchkit had been wrong. And she didn't know why, but she trusted this mysterious kit, this kit who had died strangely so long ago, more than she trusted anyone she'd met so far, even more than Finn and Windstar.

And so Finchkit asked, "StarClan cats are just as important as the living ones, aren't they? They can be involved in prophecies too."

"Sometimes," Skykit replied. "But I think the dead cats have a harder time realizing their importance. StarClan isn't all about endless hunting, peace, and speaking with the stars to deliver messages. Every now and then, some cat important comes along, and I believe that a destined cat in StarClan has more power than any prophetic cat alive."

Finchkit liked the way that sounded. _More power than any prophetic cat alive. That's me. Right?_

"You're very smart," she mewed.

Skykit let out a rusty sounding purr, as if the sound was unfamiliar to her. "One of the few perks of being dead, I find."

Hardly daring to ask her next question, Finchkit stammered, "And, u-um, h-how did you and your littermates die?"

The gray she-kit's fur bristled a bit, and for a moment her blue eyes sparkled with pure hatred and rage, a look that was a bit unnerving to see in such a small kit. But otherwise she remained as calm and placid as she'd ever been, flicking her tail back and forth as if this motion was habit. "Oh, like any cat might die. Unexpectedly. Without living enough. But for all the right reasons."

She paused again.

"When my littermates and I first came to StarClan, we liked to tell the older kits that we'd been attacked by foxes, or killed by badgers, or caught in a Twoleg trap," she added, and then trailed off into silence. "But," she continued, and her voice sounded thick with emotion, "now they've all faded away, and we're the oldest."

"How long ago were you alive?" Finchkit perused, finding herself unusually intrigued with this kit's story; yes, she'd listened to the countless deaths - pardon, _arrivals at StarClan_ \- of the others, learned of their innocence when it came to their deaths...but yet, because Skykit and her littermates' deaths were shrouded in a mist of mystery, she couldn't help but ask for more details.

Skykit flicked her tail again, and it rested neatly on her paws. "A long time ago, when the Clans were new to this territory that is there home now."

 _Wow,_ Finchkit thought. _That must be a long time ago, then. I didn't even know the Clans lived anywhere else before the lake._

There was silence between the two, and Finchkit felt that she'd found an equal, someone who understood her, someone who'd felt what she was feeling.

"The other kits don't know they've died," she mewed at last, feeling her voice tremble with suppressed anger. Turning to Skykit, she added, "I thought it was wrong, that StarClan kept the truth from them, but now I feel like it's unfair to me. And you. The others get to play and fight and think it's all good fun, but we know reality. I wish I didn't know I was dead. I wish I _wasn't_ dead."

"Don't we all?" Skykit agreed. "Believe me, those kits are better off not knowing. They may be as wise as any StarClan cat but...I don't believe they could handle the truth. But Finchkit," she mewed, sounding almost urgent, "there's something big that will happen. I can sense it. I know you don't like the thought that stars control our destinies - I don't like the thought either, and honestly I want to find the star that killed my littermates and I and _strangle_ it to death - but it's true. The stars tell the future, and someone has to listen."

"They're not saying anything to me," Finchkit meowed shrewdly.

Skykit flicked her ears, the only sign that she'd heard Finchkit. "I've been listening them for seasons now, and only lately have they begun to speak of a great change in StarClan - unusual, as normally a great change occurs in the living Clans. They speak of two cats who must journey far and wide to find who they truly are." She stopped, perhaps thinking she's spoken too much, gone to far.

"So I've heard," Finchkit agreed. "Me and my brother, right?"

Skykit gave a tentative nod.

Finchkit glared up at the sky full of stars accusingly. "You know, I really wish the stars would actually SPEAK with ME instead of speaking to OTHER cats who then have to tell me what the stars said. It's really inconvenient and just plain ANNOYING."

Another rusty purr came from the other kit. "They are speaking to you, Finchkit. You just have to listen harder."

A silence descended, and in it, Finchkit tried to do what Skykit had told her - she tried listening harder, but then came the dilemma; how did a cat listen harder? Did they try concentrating on their ears? Or try directing their ears upwards? She really didn't know, and she still couldn't hear the stars anyway.

"It working?" interrupted Skykit. "Can you hear anything?"

"Oh yes," Finchkit replied with sarcasm. "They're telling me loads of useful information."

Skykit tilted her head. "That's not how it works, Finchkit. They tell you something, but not everything."

Lashing her tail in frustration, Finchkit mewed, "You said I'd have to go on a journey - why in the stars would I have to do that? My destiny must be with StarClan - if I leave, then what then? And is there anything beyond StarClan?"

"Some destinies lay beyond the Clan," Skykit answered. "If you leave, and if it's what you're meant to do, then everything will come together. And StarClan is not unlimited. Everything must come to an end, sometime, eventually."

"We'll all fade away," Finchkit mewed softly. She straightened up. "I'm going back to the Rock. I'll get some sleep. And then I'll decide what I need to do. Those other kits - Skykit, they _deserve_ to know the truth."

Skykit's blue eyes widened, and she shook her head frantically, flicking her tail behind her body. "No, Finchkit. You can't tell them. I don't know why, but I feel like it's not safe to tell them the truth. Not directly."

Mimicking Skykit's movement, Finchkit moved her tail, getting to her feet, thoughtful yet confident. "Then I'll figure out some other way to tell them. But I have to tell them - because it feels right, but also because it could be part of my destiny, somehow. But I'm going to tell those kits the truth."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Another round of apologies for not updating yesterday and also another round of thank you so much's for all the amazing readers and reviewers! Seriously, I appreciate you all so much!

I hope this chapter was interesting; not a lot of drama, but more about those WindClan kits' mysterious deaths, and more about Finchkit's future in general...I hope Skykit was an interesting character to read. I don't know why, but I really like her.

So yeah...any feedback is much appreciated! Thank you all so much!

 **Remained unnamed:** Hmm, Icekit x Tigerstar? Sounds interesting, you'll have to tell me more about this. And thanks for letting me use Icekit as an antagonist - she's not going to be EVIL, like mwahaha evil, but more getting-in-the-way-and-disagreeing-with-Finchkit evil. And I won't kill you. AND I WOULD LOVE IT IF YOU'D DRAW SOMETHING FOR THIS! I'm already amazed at your drawing and I haven't even seen it yet. Amazing! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

 **MyPatronusIsEmberdawn:** Thank you! I really appreciate all your support. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Hand Knit:** Tallstar's Revenge is probably my favorite super edition! I love it. It's so sad, though. I cry every time I read it and I've read it like, a hundred times and already know everything that's going to happen, but still. As much as I wish Finn was real, he's not. He's an OC who Mistleaf kindly let me incorporate into this story! Hmm, I wonder if there is an actual cat named Finn somewhere in the Warriors series? I could look that up. Thanks, I'm glad you think this is creative! That is a huge compliment. I'm so thrilled that people like the idea of a Starpool; I was really worried it would just come off strange...random fact, but I was actually going to call it the Sunpool at the start because it was the opposite of the Moonpool and the sun is the opposite of the moon...anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **jadewolf334:** Finn: Thanks! I'd say I try to be hilarious, but, you know, it just comes naturally. Finchkit: Sure.

Thank you, though! I was really worried about writing Finn's character, but I'm so relieved that he's amusing! And I'm glad Finchkit doesn't come off to whiny, or if she does, you feel that she has reason to sound that way. The way she sounds is something that gives me grief each chapter. But maybe things will change for the better, now that she's met Skykit and sort of has a plan? Ooh, I like that idea of her looking for her mother through the Starpool - she's seen Palebird but hasn't really spoken with her. I'm going to do some research (aka reread Tallstar's Revenge and cry and then actually do research) and try to find parts where Palebird is grieving for Finchkit - I recall one part, but not sure when it is, so yes, I need to do my research. You're right, though, Palebird mentions Finchkit several times in the actual book.

Regarding your story, that's okay. You're an amazing writer, and each update is worth the wait. No problem, and thank you too for all your support! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Pancake Unicorn:** Thank you! That's quite a compliment, and I appreciate it! HAHA, you have to wait to find out who the mysterious cat is! Well, I guess you don't anymore because you just found out but...HAHA still. Glad you love Finn! I will try to update again soon. Thank you for reading and reviewing x 100000000000!

 **Snowcrystal of Thunderclan:** Haha, yeah! Finch x Finn...might be a thing later? Don't know...anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **BooksRCoolYeah:** Nooooooooooooo I confused someone! I'm so sorry, but if you have any questions or need clarification on something that happened please let me know. I feel so horrible because I want people to understand what happened and I'm so sorry for your confusion. Please let me know what's weird. I'm glad you love the other non-confusing stuff, though! That's good. And I have to say Skykit is my favorite. I don't know why, but when going over all the kits she just really stood out to me. I will try to include Snowkit more, though! And thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Ivyfrost-from-Shadowclan:** Yes, it's an interesting concept, isn't it? How StarClan cats feel when visiting others' dreams, and how much time they actually have to visit. I wish it was explored more in the actual series. We need to like, petition for a StarClan cat super edition or something. I appreciate all your support! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Mistleaf:** YES! It's great to know that you approve of my characterization of Finn! Sure, Appledawn can be his mentor, or Redclaw, whichever you prefer. Let me know, and I'll do that! Okay, I'll make sure Bell, when seen, is a good mother to Finn, and also use those details you told me! I really appreciate it, and one last thing - when Bell and Finn join the Clan, what do you want Bell's name to be? I was thinking like Bellflower or Bellsky or Bellcloud or something along those lines. Anything you'd prefer? And you're welcome, and I really appreciate your enthusiasm! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Mistyecho101:** Thank you! I hope there was a bit more about StarClan's secrets here, but I will definitely explore more about StarClan in later chapters! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Like normal...this author's note was probably longer than the story. XD


	12. Chapter 11

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Tallkit was no longer Tallkit. He, and the other kits who were around his age, Shrewpaw and Barkpaw, were now apprentices.

Finchkit tried not to feel jealous about this. Tallpaw was her brother, he was an apprentice, and he was something she would never ever be.

 _If I hadn't died, I would be Finchpaw. I'd be training - maybe I'd be a moor runner, just like Tallpaw!_

The day that Tallpaw had become an apprentice was a very memorable one. She and Mothflight, who she had at last come to terms with (mostly because she was scheming something behind the older StarClan's cat, so whenever Finchkit was in Mothflight's presence, she remembered that), had been watching from the Starpool. Finchkit was always impressed whenever she saw the proud and noble Heatherstar, standing above the other cats of her Clan, strong and certain of the words she was saying, believing fully in StarClan.

 _It's funny how living cats are more confident in StarClan than StarClan cats are,_ Finchkit had thought, her thoughts wondering away from the apprentice ceremony going on in WindClan.

An argument had broken out. Heatherstar remained cool, but the pale sandy tom that Finchkit recognized proudly as her father, Sandgorse, was angry, furious even, demanding that his son, her brother, be made a tunneling apprentice.

She loved her father. He was strong and solid, and confident in what he knew. She liked him because he was kind, but also expected things, from what she had seen when she walked secretly in his dreams. And she related to him, too; he could be calm, but he had a fiery temper when angered. But mostly, she liked him because he looked like her.

But of all the things, she couldn't understand why Sandgorse loved to tunnel.

Being terrified of small enclosed spaces and of the underground was one of the first things she'd found in common with Tallpaw. No cat should run around in the dirt - they belonged in the wind, close to the stars, or walking in the sky like herself.

At last the argument below settled. In the Starpool, it was always difficult to hear exactly what was happening below, conversations always distorted by the layer of water that seemed to separate the dead from the living. But Finchkit knew her brother was now a moor runner, certainly.

And it just wasn't fair, that he was alive, that he was an apprentice, while she was up hear, stuck as a kit forever. He got to be a moor runner too? Finchkit knew that if she were still alive, she would want to be a moor runner. Somehow she knew, though, that she would've been a tunneler. It would've only been right; she couldn't disappoint Sandgorse too.

Not like Tallpaw had disappointed their father.

That was what made Finchkit do it. As a StarClan cat, she had the ability - though strictly restricted by all of the dead - to control a cat's reaction to something.

That was why, somewhere down there in WindClan, Tallpaw was probably feeling like a terrible disappointment, because his father had acted so upset about the turn of events at his ceremony.

 _I love you, Sandgorse,_ Finchkit had thought as she watched, later, alone without Mothflight. _I wouldn't have disappointed you. Do you ever think about me? Do you miss me?_

* * *

Finn, the weird kit she'd met in the forest, had also come to WindClan with his mother Belle. There was much discussion among the Clan, but at last Heatherstar had decided to welcome the two, and they'd quickly adopted to Clan life. Just as she'd watch Tallkit become Tallpaw, she watched as Finn received a "proper warrior name," as Mothflight had said, becoming a moor runner apprentice to Appledawn by the name of Cloudpaw.

He would always be Finn to her.

Bell, his mother, did not join the ranks of the warriors; maintaining her loner name, she retired to the nursery, taking care of Finchkit's mother, Palebird.

Palebird was another thing, Finchkit reflected. She'd spent many nights watching her mother toss and turn in the nursery, calling out for Finchkit in a mew wracked with pain, heartbroken for the kit she'd lost.

 _I would be with you, Palebird,_ Finchkit thought, feeling her mother's sadness. _But StarClan took that from me - from us. And I wasn't happy at first with what happened, but now I know why I died. I have a destiny here, just like Tallpaw. And you'll be so proud of me. I have friends now; the other kits, we've become closer, for the most part._

She was always eager to plunge into the Starpool and visit her mother when nightmares haunted Palebird, but it always seemed that Mothflight was always there too tell her off for trying whenever that occurred. Over the past moon, it had become increasingly difficult for Finchkit to sneak away from the Rock and go to the Starpool on her own; the kits were ceaseless with their energy and their attention always seemed to focus on her.

Which wasn't a bad thing. She just missed being at the pool alone; she missed watching Tallpaw and Sandgorse and Palebird as they lived their lives, their lives that were so different and yet so similar. And she'd only talked to Finn - Cloudpaw - once more after their initial conversation, and it was very soon after her first meeting with him. By this point, she didn't think he remembered her anymore.

And that made her sadder than it should've.

But perhaps the most startling revelation, after reflecting over the month, was that she'd come to terms with her death, mostly. Well, maybe not her death. She was not so negative about it, although seeing Mothflight brought a bitter taste to her mouth every time, and she still felt envious of the kits who hadn't died, down in the Clans below.

No, the most startling revelation was that she had grown fond of Tallpaw at last.

* * *

There was one other thing that had haunted Finchkit's paws the last moon. Yes, there was the prophecy, still ominous and unclear; being very practical, Finchkit was desperate to decipher its meaning so that she would know what to do. But there was also the truth of what StarClan really was. Countless times she'd brought up the subject, hinting indirectly in hope that she'd clue the other kits in. And every time, just as she'd grown frustrated enough to decide to tell the truth outright - there was Icekit, intervening in a cold and scolding mew, suggesting they play some game that distracted all the kits from the very important thing Finchkit was trying to tell them.

It was very annoying.

* * *

"I'm leader this time!"

"No! I am. You were leader last time!"

"It's my turn! You guys are always leader!"

The scuffling of Leafkit, Sandkit, and Willowkit was something Finchkit had grown used to in the past moon - Leafkit, headstrong as always, liked to prove she was the best. She had a good sense of humor, but she used it mostly to humorously insult her sisters, and she always wanted to be leader whenever they played Clans.

"I say Foxkit should be the leader," Icekit decreed in a lofty voice.

"Yes!" the russet tom hissed triumphantly. "See, I'm diplomatic! I'll make a great leader because I'm peaceful."

"But the other Clans will go to war with us!" Leafkit complained. "That's why we need brave and strong leader to rule the Clan!"

"Sounds like Foxkit," Falconkit commented drily.

"I mean me," Leafkit deadpanned.

"I'm sorry, but brave and strong are the last words I'd describe you with," Falconkit mewed.

She hissed at him, prepared to pounce.

"No, no, no fighting Clanmates," Foxkit intervened.

"Go away, Foxkit," snapped Leafkit.

"It's Foxstar," he replied triumphantly. "And my deputy is Falconkit."

"No!" wailed Leafkit. "I don't want to play."

"You never want to play when you're not leader," Sandkit complained, and soon the four littermates were arguing again.

Finchkit sighed. Birdkit, who was standing next to her, pale tabby pelt shining softly under the light from the distant stars, shot her an understanding look.

"It's amazing," she commented. "In StarClan, kits will always be kits, so we have to listen to them fight for eternity." She padded up next to Icekit, who was watching the argument with amusement gleaming in her blue eyes, and quickly broke up the arguing littermates.

"What kind of Clan are you if you can't even get along?" she chided.

Joined by her brothers, Harekit and Reedkit, Birdkit proceeded to lecture the arguing kits about getting along, sounding very serious despite her kit-like voice.

Finchkit sighed again. She'd had fun playing Clans the first few times - now, she was tired of it.

 _Well, maybe if I was leader..._ Finchkit's thoughts trailed off. _Finchstar. Something that'll never ever be._

"You know what we should do?" Finchkit asked, speaking loudly. Her pelt immediately started bristling as it was penetrated by the stares of many kits.

"What?" Heatherkit asked.

"Has it ever occurred to you why we never ever get our 'paw names?" asked Finchkit. Immediately, both Icekit and Skykit narrowed their eyes at her - one gaze was cold and calculating, prepared to cut her off at a moment's notice, and the other was curious, wanting to see what would happen. Since her talk with Skykit by the Starpool, they'd grown close, but no matter how Finchkit pried and begged, Skykit refused to help reveal the truth to the kits. But she was clearly eager for them to kow.

"Not really," Midnightkit spoke up, but he seemed to be thinking about it now. "I mean, Midnightkit just sounds right now."

"Splashkit sounds better though," Splashkit said loftily, with a flick of his brown tail.

Finchkit interrupted as Leafkit opened her mouth to add her own opinion, determined to keep the conversation on track. "For a change, why don't we make ourselves apprentices? Aren't you tired of being a 'kit?" _I certainly am, and I'm the youngest. Imagine what these kits' warrior names could've been - aren't they the slightest bit ready for a change?_

Not for the first time, Finchkit felt the boundaries of StarClan pushing down on her, even though she wasn't even sure if StarClan had a limit. Perhaps that was what often made her feel so scared and pressured; she knew there was more out there, more to StarClan than just the Rock and the Starpool and the land between. Other than Mothflight and the occasional visit from Windstar and another old leader, Graystar, Finchkit never saw any of the older StarClan kits. Often, she wondered if they were the only cats here.

The other kits looked around at each other, clearly content with their names and their boring afterlives on the Rock.

"Well, I did want to be an apprentice," Goldkit spoke up at last. "I remember playing with my littermates - I became a brave warrior named Goldsplash, and then I became Goldstar! But then I came here, and then growing up to be a fierce warrior didn't really matter anymore - there was no need to fight."

"Goldsplash is a stupid name," Falconkit snorted grumpily.

Leafkit flared up, even though she had no need to get involved - "Oh right, and Falconclaw is totally original, too."

"But you wanted _your_ name to be Leafpool, and _that_ doesn't even make sense," the dark tom shot back scathingly, his fur prickling. "How can you have a pool of leaves? Pools are made of water and leaves aren't."

"That's not what Leafpool means," the she-kit hissed. "It means a pool of leaves - "

"And it's not important," Grasskit interrupted, looking immensely annoyed. "Honestly, can't you two go a heartbeat without arguing?" Having mewed what he needed to, he fell back to licking his light brown pelt, littered with scars just like the rest of his littermates.

"Hmph," both Falconkit and Leafkit growled at the same time, and then simultaneously glared at each other when they realized they'd meowed at the same time.

"You were saying, Finchkit, about apprentice names?" prompted Sunkit curiously.

"Well, um," Finchkit began, having lost track of her train of thought. "Right. Aren't you all tired of being a 'kit? I mean, I know we can't age...but why can't we grow in a different way?"

"Because," Icekit spoke up, her piercing gaze unreadable, "we are in StarClan, and in StarClan, everything is always the same."

"No!" Finchkit replied, failing to keep a note of distress from her mew at the idea that things would never change. "If things never changed, then how can anybody be here?"

Icekit replied, "Things are different in StarClan than they are in the Clans below."

"Right!" Dapplekit spoke up. "StarClan's the best Clan."

Like she had every time she'd tried to bring anything interesting up, Finchkit felt herself exasperatedly giving up. "Fine. Keep your stupid kit names if it makes you happy."

She was annoyed when all the kits happily nodded and complied, turning back quickly to what was important to them; figuring out who would be leader, deputy, and medicine cat in the time-consuming Clan game.

"I think I see Mothflight," Finchkit mewed glumly to nobody, excusing herself.

"Have fun!" Silverkit, Songkit, and Lilykit all mewed in unison, and then promptly fell to purring in amusement.

"Oh my stars," Finchkit muttered in exasperation. "I can see why StarClan doesn't tell you anything."

In truth, she hadn't actually seen Mothflight; she just wanted to get away from everything. She was so annoyed at everything; nobody cared about anything but games! And games weren't real. They didn't mean anything in the long run.

She was tired of waiting around up in StarClan, while down below, each step Tallpaw took led him one step closer to his destiny, a destiny she was supposed to share with him. But so far, Finchkit had accomplished nothing at all.

 _I wish Sandgorse was in StarClan with me,_ she thought longingly. _He would understand me. He would look at me and know what was wrong with me. He would love me. Or Palebird. I can see how sad she is down there with Tallpaw - if I hadn't died, I bet she would be so much happier. Maybe Tallpaw's doing something wrong to make her so sad all the time._

Suddenly a new thought settled on Finchkit, and with it, a new resolve. _It's not fair that Tallpaw gets both our parents. I should at least get one. They're all disappointed in him anyway. Won't Palebird or Sandgorse be thrilled when they come to StarClan and see me? And then I'll have something worth being here for. A family._

She almost purred in delight, and sending dirt flying underneath her starry paws, Finchkit bounded into the trees, towards the Starpool, knowing exactly what she wanted to do for once.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**...Please don't kill me for the late update...although I kind of deserve it considering how utterly AMAZING you all are and how utterly HORRIBLE I am as an author. I hoe this was a semi-interesting chapter at least. I know it's kind of like - whoa! Time skip! - but I was thinking through and it didn't seem right to continue from where it left off, and I felt like maybe the plot was going to slow? So I skipped a moon ahead, kind of like Erin Hunter does sometimes in the book. So now you might have two reasons to murder me. But before you do...IT'S LONGER THAN NORMAL.

Also, I'm trying to incorporate all the kits as best I can, so sorry if you left kits for me to use (much appreciated!) and didn't see any of them in this chapter. Also, if you gave me their personality, I am trying to have them stick to it, but sorry if the way they act diverges.

Thank you to everyone who reads this! I really appreciate it - the support is amazing.

 **Snowcrystal of Thunderclan:** It would, wouldn't it? I'll have to add more with the two of them. I guess it is, but I really appreciate it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Hand Knit:** Good! I like her too, but I'm the author, so it's great to know that readers are enjoying her character too! Me too, though. Expect (hopefully) sadder chapters involving the kits in the future - all of them, not just Grasskit, Skykit, Snowkit, and Rabbitkit. I'm not sure, canonly speaking, where StarClan cats go when they die. Finchkit doesn't know either - just as a sort of joke, I said that they go to StarClan 2, but having no evidence to back this up, I frankly have no clue. That's interesting to think about! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **The Aurahunter:** Thank you! That is a huge compliment and I'm so flattered! I'm glad you think it's a good idea - I loved Tallstar's Revenge. I cry every time I read it. It's a problem. But Tallstar is one of if not my favorite cat in the series. And ever since reading the Super Edition, I kept wondering about Finchkit, since we don't know much about her. I knew I wanted to do something with her, so this is what I came up with, although some other ideas involved either an alternate universe in which Tallstar died and Finchkit lived, and what would happen then, or a story in which Tallpaw, after Sandgorse died, was taken to StarClan to see how different life would've been if he'd died and Finchkit lived. I don't know. This is what happened though, obviously. I'm glad you're enjoying this! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Mistyecho101:** No problem! Sorry there wasn't a lot of StarClan secrets, but I'm thinking in the next chapter I'll write something about how, exactly, StarClan takes living cats from their Clans and essentially, for lack of a better word, "kills" them, but in a less gruesome manner...I'm glad you think the story is cool, though! That's definitely always good to know. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Pancake Unicorn:** Yes! I'm glad you love Skykit! I do too, but it's great to know that readers are enjoying her character too. Hopefully in the next few chapters there will be more information revealed, and sorry if these chapters are a bit slow. And I sort of guess this chapter was a cliffhanger? I'm glad you love this story! Also, I'm so flattered that you'd favor this if you had an account! You definitely should get one, if you can. I'm sure you'd write some great stuff too! Your welcome, and thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Mistleaf:** Okay, I had Appledawn as Finn/Cloudpaw's mentor. We don't see much of that cat in Tallstar's Revenge, so she definitely works. Also, Bell kept her name like you asked! And it's fine with me. I'm still debating whether to have Doespring crush on him, so I'll give you an update as soon as I figure out what'll work. If it does happen, it probably won't be a major thing, and just a heads up, I'm pretty awful with crushes, both when writing and in real life. Please pity me, I'm so socially awkward. Anyway, that was totally random, but I'll also try to incorporate the other parts regarding Finn/Cloudpaw that you asked for. I'm glad you like Skykit! I like her too, but it's great to know that readers enjoy her character too! She does seem very calm and wise, doesn't she? I think it's what Finchkit needs, though. Thank you for all your eager support, and for reading and reviewing!

 **BooksRCoolYeah:** Skykit is cool. And sorry that Snowkit wasn't incorporated much in this chapter, but I have written everywhere that she needs to make more of an appearance. So hopefully that'll happen. Okay, I'm glad you figured out what was confusing you, and I'm so sorry that confusion was caused in the first place. Hopefully majorly confusing chapters will no longer be a thing, but let me know if anything's weird! Thank you for your support! And thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **jadewolf334:** I'M SO GLAD YOU LOVE SKYKIT AND THINK SHE'S AWESOME! I do too. I definitely agree that Skykit is a good influence for Finchkit - look, she's not so depressed anymore! Well, she might still be, considering her darker intent at the end of the chapter...and the two will probably be best friends. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter, and I'm also super glad that I managed to make an interesting StarClan, because I'm basically going off of the parts in the canon series that have StarClan in them. So far, unfortunately, Finchkit has failed in breaking the news...she is trying to be gentle about it, but I feel like it's a combination of Icekit and the other kits' innocence that is making her hinting strategy a lot harder than she wanted it to be. I'm also super glad you liked Finchkit's moment of sarcasm - I will try to include more of that! You should definitely read Tallstar's Revenge though, again! Among the Super Editions I've read, it's my favorite, for sure. It makes me cry every. Single. Time. And I'm thinking in the next chapter, there will be that interaction between Palebird and Finchkit. Yes, definitely, regarding Tallpaw's jealousy. I kind of based Finchkit off of Tallpaw, and then gave her a different personality with similar traits. Your welcome! And I'm so glad you love it. I'm so sorry for the late update. I wanted to write something worthy of you and all the other amazing readers out there! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **WyldClaw:** I do feel bad for Mothflight! I feel kind of like a terrible person for making Finchkit hate her...not that I hate her myself. I'm also glad you like my prophecy. I've got the skills, haven't I? Just kidding. I'm awful at coming up with prophecies generally, especially when they rhyme. It took me so long to come up with this one, so I'm glad you liked it! And yes, poor Finchkit too. I always feel very sad whenever I write a chapter, and I have a feeling I'm just going to get sadder...I'm glad you like all the kits, too. Hopefully they're coming off realistically. Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	13. Chapter 12

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Finchkit had heard Palebird mumble her name every now and then, in quiet moments when all was still around the black and white queen. Finchkit had heard her mother whisper longingly for Finchkit to return when she believed no one was listening. And no cat was listening - that was alive, at least. Finchkit always heard her mother though, listening from the Starpool.

Other times, Brackenwing or another she-cat would happen to hear, and rush to Palebird's side to reassure that grieving queen that all would be well and that her daughter was safe and sound in StarClan, words that Palebird both appreciated and hated at the same time.

Finchkit felt the same whenever a cat said those words. Because she was in StarClan, and any reassurance to her poor mother was greatly appreciated by the young kit, but at the same time, these words were bitter reminders to Finchkit's death, her destiny, and her brother's…and they felt like sharp thorns in her pelt every time she heard the words "she's safe and sound in StarClan, watching over you and protecting you so that you'll live your life, knowing she's safe."

Well, that was partially true. Finchkit was watching Palebird. But even though the kit was sure that in StarClan, she was probably perfectly safe from the menaces normal living kits faced, she was also not perfectly sound, whatever that meant. She was assuming it meant something like stable and living a normal life. Or dying a normal death. Whatever it was supposed to be. But, on the other hand, she was certainly not really trying to protect Palebird. She had decided that, while she liked Sandgorse much better for her own personal reasons, Palebird might prefer to come to StarClan to see her kit. The queen was already down enough, blaming herself for Finchkit's death…surely, it would only be in the best interests to see her kit "safe and sound" when she came to StarClan?

Not that Finchkit had done anything to set this plan into motion yet. So far, she'd only watched. But soon, she planned to actually execute her scheme.

 _I'm not being cruel,_ she reminded herself. _I was supposed to live a life with Palebird in it. StarClan is cruel – they stole me from my life, my family!_

And there were myriads of reasons why she should do it; Palebird was so sad, all the time, about Finchkit. Palebird sometimes wished Finchkit were still alive, and in sadder moments, wished Tallpaw had died instead (before immediate denial, but Finchkit ignored that part). Sandgorse, while he had moments of grieving for his lost daughter, seemed intent on his tunneling work, and as attached to him as she was, Finchkit knew how heartbroken he'd be if he died before finishing on the notorious gorge tunnel that he talked about so often...and a more cruel side of Finchkit was thinking, _Tallpaw is more emotionally attached to Palebird, even though he does want to make Sandgorse proud, and by taking Palebird away from him, it'll be like the life he took from me. I'll finally be almost equal with him._

She always ignored the grief wrenched expression on Tallpaw's face whenever she thought these thoughts about him, an expression she'd seen on him more than once whenever she visited his dreams, never speaking or letting him no she was there.

 _I hate Tallpaw and always will._

So Palebird was the logical choice.

But Finchkit couldn't help but feel a bit relieved when, every time she planned to plunge into the Starpool and send some misfortune Palebird's way, some seemingly miraculous event changed things up and stopped her from doing it.

 _The time just isn't right,_ Finchkit told herself whenever this happened, brushing off a sigh of relief. _Tomorrow, maybe?_

And at last, the tomorrow had come. Brackenwing, the queen who Finchkit was sure was perfectly kind but found absolutely annoying anyway, had taken her leave, having returned to the warriors' den a while ago. Yet her frequent visits to Palebird, who remained in the nursery despite Tallpaw being an apprentice, had only recently begun to taper off, something that didsappointed the black-and-white queen to no extent but greatly relieved Finchkit. Many times, it had been Brackenwing's presence that had stopped Finchkit from doing anything, but with her gone…

It was perfect.

Even the StarClan night seemed to be telling her - Mothflight had left Finchkit's side without protest for once, something that happened very rarely during their nightly check-ins with the WindClan camp. Often, Finchkit would request to be left alone, and Mothflight would argue and fight and generally annoy the little kit into an anger, and they'd fight it out, and Mothflight, not wanting to hurt a kit, would often leave in a fiery huff of anger. So Finchkit considered it a good omen when Mothflight readily complied to her asking, and vanished into the brush without returning. And the stars were shining brightly, there was not a single cloud, not in the StarClan sky or in the living world below, and the moon was nearly full; this was also good, because that would mean that there would be no Gathering which required the Starpool's use, and there would also be no medicine cat meeting that took place every half-moon. The conditions were beyond perfect.

It had to be a once-in-a-life-time opportunity.

"Palebird," Finchkit mewed. Her thin voice seemed to fly in a wisps from between her teeth, and within heartbeats, the surface of the Starpool glimmered and complied, revealing a fitfully sleeping Palebird, muttering something about Tallpaw. Finchkit and Mothflight had just seen a brief row between mother and son, and while the argument had left Finchkit's heart fluttering with some twisted delight, Mothflight had just frowned down and murmured something about 'things not going as we planned, exactly.'

Now, it seemed, Palebird was regretting the fight. It often annoyed Finchkit, how much Palebird truly loved Tallpaw even though she seemed so distant all the time. It always brought up the thought of, _would she love me that much, too? What if_ _I'd lived? Would she love both of us the same amount?_ and also, _I bet if I were still alive, and Tallpaw had died, I would've known what to do to make Palebird happy. I would've been a tunneler for Sandgorse - even if I don't like tunnels. But I would've done it for my father, unlike Tallpaw._ She forced herself to think about how selfish Tallpaw was, even though she secretly thought he wasn't. They both had their issues, on different ends of a very different spectrum; she was dead, he was alive, she had no family, he had a distant one, they both had destinies, but she knew it and didn't know how to fulfill it, while he had no idea about his future at all, and whether or not he had one in the Clan.

Finchkit's one thought as she entered the Starpool, silvery water pulling at her belly fur, which had somehow grown a bit in the months she'd spent in StarClan, was, _Well, everything is going to change now, for the both of us._

And as her head disappeared underneath the waters, it seemed that StarClan - or the stars, perhaps, because could StarClan really send an omen to itself? - it seemed that the stars had finally sent a sign, a sign that Finchkit had been waiting for but didn't realize, and the sky itself seem to reverberate with, _In two different worlds, they will walk the same path._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So, sorry for two things, first off. Premiere, I apologize for the long overdue update...I'm hoping to get out the second chapter very soon, though, to make up for that. I found myself constantly sitting in front of this story, desperate to write something, anything, but never really liking what I wrote or where I was trying to take the story. I also realized, reading through this several times, that I kind of lost the 'warriors' feel that the canon series has - the tone of the story seems to have changed, and I can no longer picture this in a book. I hope that's okay. I am TERRIFIED of messing with this chapter now that I've actually finalized it, because I'm so scared all mess something up - it took FOREVER to actually finish up the chapter. So that's why it's late. I'M SO SORRY, PLEASE SAY YOU'RE STILL READING THIS?

Secondly, I apologize for a shortish chapter and also for going somewhere but at the same time not really going anywhere and leaving it like I left it. I just felt like it was a good chapter ending, and also leaves the next chapter open to what I have planned. SO I'M SORRY AGAIN. Y'ALL ARE SUPER AMAZING.

Anyway...any feedback is MUCH appreciated, love you all, you're all amazing, and I wish I was as great as you all are. THANK YOU, WORLD.

 **Rainstorm of ShadowClan:** MWAHAHAHA much evil laughter. That is for me to know and you to find out, although by this point, if you have read the chapter, you probably have figured things out by now. Maybe. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Snowcrystal of Thunderclan:** MWAHAHAHAHAHA that is for me to know and you to find out. Although, you probably already would know by this point...we shall see. We shall see. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **jadewolf334:** Thanks! And I'm super glad that that ending terrified you. I enjoy terrifying people. Normally I am able to do that over writing. I think. But it's good to know I succeeded with that. Please don't be terrified. Maybe this ending un-terrified you? :D MWAHAHAHA, that is for me to know and you to find out...but you probably might know not that you've read this chapter, what Finchkit is trying to do. Glad you liked the cliffhanger! I know I said this last time, but THE NEXT CHAPTER IS THE SCENE YOU ASKED FOR, I think. I'm like, ninety-nine percent positive. Glad you liked more about Palebird, and that you sympathize with Finchkit! Yes...Icekit is stubborn, and the other kits are just so naïve that they don't get what she's trying to tell them...and here's the next chapter. Hope you liked, and sorry for the late update. Thank you for the compliment! I love your writing skills too! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Remained unnamed:** Yes! Updated. HAHAHAHA...can't say the same for a speedy update for this chapter though...please don't kill me. Okay, sorry if I messed up Icekit's yes. And you're welcome, thanks for letting me use her! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Guest:** Thank you! That is always such a gratifying thing to hear. I am very flattered by your compliments - writing this chapter, I was very determined to live up to them. I really appreciate your kind words, and about the journey...that's an interesting idea, and definitely part of the possibly 'metaphorical' journey Finchkit will take. And the part with them growing up is neat! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Mistleaf:** Thank you! You're spelling is great, so don't worry. I think Cloudpaw will be great, too. That's an interesting dream! And in the future, if I need to look for potential warrior names for Finchkit, I really like Finchheart! And I'll try to use some of the details from your dream in some of the interactions/future scenes between the two - thank you! Thank you! I'm so happy that you like this, and say thanks to your cousin Dawnheart too! Much appreciated, the both of you. I will try to keep up the good work! Thank you for all your kind words and for reading and reviewing!

 **Ivyfrost-from-Shadowclan:** I'm so happy you found it interesting with Finchkit being wiser - yes, that would be correct about her being wiser, which is likely because she knows she died. As for the kits, that's an interesting question, which I may explore later in the story itself. As for my personal opinion, I think that yes, deep down the kits are questioning why they are never growing up and getting older, where their parents and the cats they used to know have gone, why they are no longer in their home Clans...but at the same time, they are too young to actually understand the concept of death, which is why they can't realize that they are dead...I probably shouldn't say this because I definitely think that this will come up later, but I almost think it's _because_ a lot of them don't know what death is that renders them unable to realize that they are dead, but if exposed to death, they will be able to grasp the concept...if that makes sense. Probably will appear later. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing!


	14. Chapter 13

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Finchkit blinked, still unused to the feeling of the waters of the Starpool pressing down on her from all sides. She took a shaky breath, the feeling of cool, liquid-like air rushing in to fill her lungs slightly unsettling. She hadn't used the Starpool that often - mostly just gazing, with a few visits to Palebird or Tallpaw or Sandgorse and sometimes Cloudpaw. Other than that, she'd stayed out.

"Palebird?" the small kit called out, her voice wobbling a little bit. A nervous feeling had settled onto her pelt, sending butterflies into her stomach. She imagined that this was the feeling kits got when they were made apprentices, and then again when they became warriors.

 _Something I'll never know for sure,_ Finchkit added as an afterthought. She shook her pelt. She wasn't going to dwell on those bitter thoughts today - no, she wanted Palebird to see how...happy she was, in StarClan, how Brackenwing's reassurance hadn't been in vain. That Finchkit was "alive" and well-ish in StarClan.

Her mother was curled up in her nest, perhaps sleeping. No other cat was in the nursery, that Finchkit could see, and a ray of blood red sunlight feel across the nursery floor, creeping in from the flap of the entrance. That was where Finchkit headed, knowing she wouldn't be seen unless she intended to reveal herself.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she brought Palebird back with her. Would her mother be happy to see her daughter? Surely she wouldn't be overly sad that she was leaving WindClan behind. She was always complaining and mourning the loss of Finchkit, and sometimes even the loss of her parents, who'd died many seasons ago.

What would happen when Finchkit told Palebird about the prophecy? That StarClan wasn't what it seemed to be to all the living cats - that kits and warriors didn't walk side-by-side, that the kits played at the Rock and hardly ever saw any of the other, older cats? Or apprentices?

A different sort of thrill lifted her spirits, brushing off any doubts. Finchkit couldn't wait to see and speak to her mother. Dreams didn't count, because Palebird never seemed to hear Finchkit. And this would be different. At last, they'd get to speak together, as equals. And Finchkit could show Palebird all of StarClan's secrets - the Starpool, all the kits and their complete obliviousness to their deaths, Mothflight, Windstar, the prophecy, how the stars told StarClan what to do...

The idea was strangely gratifying.

And it was almost hers!

The nursery was now completely clear; the waters had stilled, and now, Finchkit could hear the outside noises, the gentle murmur of cats as they settled down for the night. Heatherstar's mew, quiet but firm, filled Finchkit with such admiration, as she gently informed Reedfeather about tomorrow's duties, and the WindClan medicine cat reprimanded Barkpaw for mixing up several herbs. This sound was something Finchkit was unused to. It was comforting, yet invoked a feeling of melancholy into her. Then the quiet voiced silenced, and the sounds of the night came down on the camp; owls, the gentle moving of wind through the leaves, the rustling as cats settled into their nests, trying to find a comfortable position...

In the nursery, a milky scent washed over Finchkit the moment she shut the flap that was the entrance. She'd watched as the Clan went about its nightly business, perhaps in an attempt to further stall what she was going to do.

 _This is right,_ Finchkit assured herself as she turned apprehensively to the nest where her mother's sleeping form lay, pelt rising and falling softly with calmed sleep. _This is what I'm supposed to do. It must be, or the stars would've stopped me._ She steeled herself, shaking off the scared and doubtful feelings that were welling in her chest. _Come on, Finchkit. Don't be weak. You're much stronger than your mewling brother, Tallpaw. And this isn't selfish. You aren't selfish. You're doing what's right, you're bringing Tallpaw back down to earth, you're showing him how harsh life is. His life is so perfect, doesn't even know his destiny, while you grapple day in and day out with what to do. He doesn't realize how lucky he is to still be alive in his perfect little world -_

As her thoughts whirled about, Finchkit silently crept forward. Stealth wasn't difficult. She was, after all, a StarClan cat, essentially a ghost in the nursery. Outside, it seemed that the night had stilled, all noises silenced as the world held its breath, anxious to see what Finchkit would do next.

But how. Finchkit paused, now standing next to her mother's nest. But how. That was the question. How was she going to do this? How would she bring Palebird to StarClan?

 _Well, looks like I can't do it now,_ Finchkit thought to herself, deciding that she didn't feel relieved at all. _I'm so disappointed. Curse StarClan, for making me do this without an actual plan,_ she added, feeling it necessary. She quickly turned away, intent on ascending the Starpool and resurfacing in StarClan. And she would've. Except then a memory swam to the surface of her mind.

 _How did I die?_

There hadn't been blood, or violence, when Finchkit had died. She didn't even know that she'd died, but that might've been because, at the time, she didn't know what death was. She'd simply woken up in StarClan.

But now, now she remembered. She'd been so warm, nestled in her mother, and then suddenly, everything was cold, too big, too loud, too noisy...she remembered that. She remembered being uncomfortable. She remembered wanting to go back to wherever she'd been before.

"Little one," mewed a gentle voice behind her, she she'd turned, straining to open her eyes, and seen a cat who she'd never seen before. It was not Mothflight, and it wasn't Windstar, or Windstar's mate, either. It was a cat that Finchkit had not yet met in StarClan, someone who she would surely run into later...

"Are you talking to me?" Finchkit had asked, wondering how on earth the cat was floating, and why nobody else saw the cat.

The other cat had purred. "You want to go back, don't you?" When Finchkit had merely looked confused, the cat continued, "Come with me, songbird, and I'll take you to where you need to be."

The words sounded muffled and confusing to Finchkit's newborn mind. She was only following this cat because of impulse, something telling her to go and not stay in the cold and loud place. She didn't actually understand what the cat was saying. The cat just looked old and wise, and something to Finchkit to trust it.

So she'd left. And somehow, inexplicably, perhaps, Finchkit had woken up in StarClan.

She didn't know how. She just knew it happened. So somehow, following a StarClan cat seemed to lead to StarClan.

A twisted feeling filled Finchkit. There were no excuses now, surely, for not taking Palebird with her. She knew what she needed to down - in fact, the stars had practically _forced_ that vision into her head to tell her what to do. And everything was still silent, the moment not shattered at all - surely that was also an omen.

"P-palebird?" Finchkit tried. She sounded like a lost kit, whispering for her mother, scared of what was in the dark. And really, that was what Finchkit was, what she always would be...

Her mother didn't stir, deep asleep in dreams tortured with grief. Dreams that didn't just involve Finchkit dying. Because Palebird had always felt sad, and it seemed she'd passed this on to her daughter.

"Palebird," Finchkit tried again. Maybe she wouldn't bring her mother back after all. She could just...just talk to her, at least.

 _No, Finchkit,_ she scolded herself. _No excuses. You are going to do this. You are going through with this._

"Mother," Finchkit mewed this time, and to her delight, Palebird finally showed signs of waking. Her mother's eyes gleamed amber as they fluttered open, before shutting immediately again.

"F-finchkit?" came her rasping mew. "Is that you?"

Finchkit took a breath. "It's me. It's me, Palebird."

Palebird's form made as if too rise from her nest, but the queen let out a sigh of resignation and defeat, her eyes closing again. "This is a dream, then."

It was more of a statement than a question, and with it, there was so much agony in the single sentence that Finchkit wanted to slump down next to her mother and tell Palebird that everything was going to be okay. But no. She could do that later, when they were both in StarClan.

"Perhaps," Finchkit agreed, answering her mother's question. She really wasn't sure if it was Palebird's dream or not, or if they were really in the nursery and Palebird woke up to see her daughter's apparition. Finchkit found the latter to be more likely. "Palebird, I miss you."

She did not intend to say that. The words just slipped.

"I miss you too." Finchkit's heart fluttered at the words from her mother. "I don't understand why you had to die."

Finchkit overlooked the question, because she was afraid she might start whining and complaining and ranting about the unfairness of her afterlife. Instead, she mewed, her voice filled with hope and certainty, covering up the nervousness and denial underneath. "Come with me, Palebird."

 _No, no, no, stay in your nest and don't listen to me,_ some voice in the back of her head broke out sharply, desperately.

"I - I - " Palebird managed, and then her mew broke off, and she was silent for so long that Finchkit thought she'd gone back to sleep.

"Palebird, please," Finchkit pleaded, unsure of what to say next. "I'm in StarClan. I'm all alone. I'm - "

"Brackenwing told me she'd be alright." Palebird's mew was so quiet that for a few moments Finchkit believed she'd imagined it. But she saw her mother's mouth move, and she quieted, before realizing that Palebird wasn't even talking to her - she seemed to be saying some quiet mantra to herself. "Finchkit's safe and well. I still have Tallpaw and Sandgorse. Everything is going to be okay...my life will have happiness in it."

She seemed to have forgotten all about Finchkit. So the kit tried again.

"I am safe and well," Finchkit mewed. "And I will be even happier if you - "

"Songbird," came a gentle voice from somewhere behind Finchkit. Much like the sandy she-kit had done many moons ago when she first entered the world, Finchkit turned around to see the mysterious cat that had brought her to StarClan in the first place.

"Who are you?" Finchkit demanded over Palebird's continued muttering.

"Shh," the cat admonished. When the cat stepped forward, and moonlight from the outside caught her pelt, illuminating the white strands of fur and dark green eyes. "We must let Palebird sleep, now."

"But - " Finchkit started to protest.

"I know," the cat reassured the younger. "But now is not Palebird's time. I know how you feel, Finchkit, little one. You feel as though there are no stars to light up your night. And you'll feel that way for a while, I think. But let me tell you, one day, you'll look up, and you'll see a whole sky of constellations, and you'll know exactly what you must do."

And for the second time, Finchkit felt herself being pulled out of the Starpool by the scruff of her neck.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** HAHA! I did it! I actually did it! I'm so proud. As promised, a second chapter posted much sooner than the last one was. So I hope that this was exciting! I certainly had lots of fun writing it. The words just came to me. No writer's block today!

Anyway, completely random, but does anyone else find it kind of weird that kits call their parents by their actual names and not "mother" or "father"? I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this, but I am. I dunno.

Any guesses on who the mysterious cat is?

Also, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE KIND REVIEWS! I appreciate anyone and everyone who reads this - any feedback is MUCH appreciated. Thank you all for being SUUUUUPPEEERR AWESOME. :)

 **Rainstorm of ShadowClan:** Hmm, hmm, it seems you were correct, but stuff got in the way...thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Snowcrystal of Thunderclan:** MWAHAHA. I feel like I've been doing a lot of evil laughter lately. Oh well, I'm pretty bad at it, so this is good practice. But hopefully, this chapter has satisfied you for now. You are awesome. And thank you for reading and reviewing.

 **jadewolf334:** MWAHAHA. Again, with the evil laughter! But, as you probably have read, some cat got in the way. Hmm, a mystery...but hopefully her idea was bad in a way that made you want to see if she actually went though with it. This was definitely a darker chapter, I felt, while I was writing it, and I had some mentions about Palebird's depression, which is actually a canon thing, which I found interesting. I kind of wondered if Palebird was depressed before Finchkit died, or if Finchkit's death was the cause or a cause of it. I know what you mean about the affect on Palebird. Being the kind and caring person I am, I was actually really annoyed with Palebird's personality the first time I read the book, but now, I can really relate to Palebird's emotions. I will try not to apologize. It's just...you guys are all amazing. And don't worry, your fanfic is amazing; I can read the chapters multiple times (but while we're on the subject, are you going to update? PLEASE update!). And it's okay. Your welcome, and I hope you enjoyed this update too! Whoohoo! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Ivyfrost-from-Shadowclan:** Thanks! I'm so glad you thought it was great - hopefully you're opinion remains the same after this one. Aw, thanks, that means so much to me! Glad you're liking Finchkit's inner dialogue - while writing it, I always manage to get off on tangents and get really out of character and off topic so I have to retry...oops. Okay, I'll try not to do that, and sorry if I do. I find that sometimes I accidentally write out my own thoughts instead of Finchkit's, and let me tell you, my brain is a crazy place, filled with negations. And you're also right about not wanting to write Tallpaw/star in a bad light - love him, and I feel bad saying stuff about him that we know isn't true. So I'll keep that advice in mind. Still, super glad you're liking this and you feel the story keeps getting better. That is a relief to hear. Haha, thanks for the reassurance, I really appreciate it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **BooksRCoolYeah:** Haha! THE DARKNESS IS COMING. Don't worry. She didn't do anything...YET. Hmm, you may have read my mind there with Sandgorse...I SHALL NOT SAY ANYTHING. Got your hint. Cool. More will come with kits...and I'm glad you're liking this! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Moodycat2:** Yay! I'm so glad you're still reading! And that you love it! That's a huge compliment and I am so flattered! I'm glad you thought giving me the kits' names was a good idea. I'm so glad you think this is well-written - that's so great to hear! - and I'm sorry that it gets repetitive, but I'm glad you're liking the emphasis on Finchkit's emotions. That will probably happen at the end. Glad you like the idea of seeing Tallstar's Revenge in a different light, and I'm sorry you didn't like Tallstar's Revenge. But there are so many other great Warrior's books out there. Glad you're also liking Mothflight's character, too. And thanks! It's always very important that readers are liking the story, because stories aren't stories until they have an audience, and that audience deserves to be treated with respect! Not only that, but it's also the hugest compliment to have people take the time to read writing, and I love responding to reviews! Thank you, and you're sweet too! And thanks for the info regarding Violetkit, Pigeonkit, Cloudkit, and Smallkit. I will use it when I include those kit next. No problem, and I will defiintely try to keep up the work! Thank you so much for all your kind words and support, and for reading and reviewing!


	15. Chapter 14

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

After the soft and velvety darkness lit only by gentle moonlight, the brightness of StarClan was almost blinding. Blinking lights out of her eyes, Finchkit hastened to turn her head to see who had, once again, pulled her out of the Starpool so roughly.

Naturally, it was Mothflight, looking more livid than ever.

"What," said the older she-cat, nearly seething with anger, "were you exactly attempting to do down there?"

Finchkit decided she had nothing to hide; after all, she hadn't actually managed to do anything at all. "I was trying to talk to my mother," she said. _And kill her. That's the harsh truth. It doesn't sound so pleasant when I put it that way..._

Mothflight's anger seemed to instantly deflate. She let out a long, suffering sigh. "I see. But I've told you, you're not to enter the Starpool without guidance and without me saying you can. I'm hoping those were the only two times that actually happened."

"Yes, that would be correct," Finchkit mewed agreeably. _That would be correct if I had only gone into the Starpool once. But I've visited a lot of living cats; Tallpaw, Cloudpaw, Sandgorse, Palebird. But what Mothflight doesn't know can't hurt her._

Mothflight sighed again, ruffling her fur in an irritable fashion. "It's getting very late now. The other kits would be sleeping by this point. But," she continued, "the other StarClan cats and I - we think you're ready for something to change. New cats are coming to WindClan, and though they may not know it, they carry the power to change everything in their paws."

* * *

Finchkit was really trying to concentrate on the conversation that was taking place. Really, very hard. It was incredibly important that she listen, as this was what she'd wanted for moons now; myriads of star-pelted cats sat around her, speaking and speculating about prophecies and the lives of cats below. Soon discussion would turn to her own prophecy, and Finchkit needed to listen to that.

 _Needed. Not wanted,_ Finchkit realized with a jolt. _But I want this prophecy. I always have. This is something I've dreamed about - of being a hero because I'd fulfilled my destiny...I'd finally put my death behind me, be proud to be a StarClan cat..._

But she couldn't deny it. She no longer felt a thrill of excitement and longing at the thought of the prophecy. She wasn't sure when things had changed; she recalled still being happy about it before the events with Palebird, but as she and Mothflight walked to the clearing, far away from the Starpool, where many of the old leaders of the Clans were gathering, she felt nothing at the thought of learning more about her destiny, her future.

She felt hollow and empty, and done with everything. Not for the first time, she felt as if StarClan's borders were creeping up on her, something that shouldn't have been possible, because Finchkit had been told countless times that there were no borders or territory in StarClan, and from the highest point on the Rock where she played every day with the other kits, StarClan seemed to stretch on forever, endless.

"So, we move onto our newest prophecy," said a white she-cat that Mothflight had identified as Featherstar. The old leader continued, making speculations and suggestions as to what might happen, and what StarClan could do to push both kits along the right path.

Finchkit felt like she should be angry; she didn't _need_ prodding from these cats. She could figure out her destiny by herself, thank you very much. But for some reason, none of Featherstar's words actually registered in Finchkit's brain. She could hear what the old leader was saying, but as for the meaning...it just didn't compute.

Finchkit was too busy staring at Featherstar to listen to her words. Upon first entering the clearing, Finchkit had thought that the leader was the strange white cat the small kit had encountered in the nursery with Palebird, but it couldn't be. This cat was less ancient, and though very wise, not nearly as sage-like as the one who had brought Finchkit to StarClan and spoken to her before. And Featherstar's eyes were blue, not green.

Featherstar finished speaking. With a bow to the next leader, who was named Duststar, she stepped back and allowed him to start speaking. Now Finchkit was officially not even bothering to listen. She sank her small claws into the dirt and fixed her eyes on the speaking tom, to at least have the air of being polite, but she was lost in her own world.

 _Palebird didn't want to come with me,_ she thought, feeling her heart sink into the ground just like her claws had. _She loves Tallpaw and Sandgorse too much. She doesn't love me enough. It's not fair. I should at least get one thing. Tallstar has everything, a good life, a mentor, an apprentice name, a family...he doesn't know he's got some prophecy that controls his future. It's not tormenting every paw step he takes. I may have that prophecy too, but it's not fair. Because I know, and I can't do anything about it._

Then her thoughts wandered over to Cloudpaw. _He's lucky too. He doesn't have to worry about prophecies. He's probably even forgotten me by now, because I haven't visited in him in so long. He's just going to have a normal warrior life._

Duststar finished speaking. Now a light gray-brown tom was meowing about destiny and some other prophetic topics. Finchkit was sure he also had a name, and that Mothflight had told her it, but she couldn't remember and couldn't be bothered to care.

 _And listen to these cats,_ Finchkit thought. _They're all leaders, they're all discussing something that doesn't involve them. Something about me and my brother. They're in charge of what happens to my brother, his fate. They control Tallpaw's future. Shouldn't they just let Tallpaw live out his own destiny? But prophecies are StarClan's business. Shouldn't that mean that the kits should get a say, too? And apprentices, as well. I don't see any of them here. It's not fair. The kits don't know anything at all, even though they're part of StarClan, and may have been here longer than all these great leaders._

Finchkit sighed. She couldn't summon the energy to be angry or determined to tell the kits; that had failed countless times, just as bringing Palebird to StarClan had failed.

"Finchkit?" someone meowed loudly, and quite suddenly Finchkit found that unconsciously, she'd been walking away from the meeting and out of the clearing.

"Sorry," she replied, stopping in her tracks reluctantly. She wouldn't have minded leaving the meeting; she wasn't listening to anything anyway.

"Are you alright?" Mothflight mewed, sounding worried. "It is very late. I suppose you'd normally be asleep at this time. I'm so sorry for making you stay up - "

"I'm fine," Finchkit answered hollowly.

"Leave it to rest, Mothflight," Windstar mewed gently, giving Finchkit a sympathetic look. "Come, sit down again, Finchkit. We're almost done."

Finchkit complied.

"As I was saying," the light brown-gray tom spoke again.

"I think that's enough on speculation and suggestions for now, Dovestar," Windstar cut across in a smooth mew. "Perhaps we should move on the upcoming matters."

Dovestar bared his teeth, but only for a moment. He was already stepping back, bowing his head, allowing Windstar to take over the meeting.

"Finchkit," Windstar began, "as you have probably learned from our gathering, new cats are coming to the Clan."

"More people like Cloudpaw and Bell?" Finchkit blurted.

Windstar gave her a look. "Yes, and no. These cats are visitors; they come every year in new leaf, and stay throughout the season with the Clan."

"That's weird," Finchkit mewed. She felt that she now had to participate in this conversation, because suddenly all the leaders were looking at her, and she was actually being incorporated in the discussion.

Most of the other cats purred at her remark. "That is what lots of kits say," the ginger tom who'd led the Clan at one point agreed. "Many things surprise them."

The comment ruffled Finchkit's fur - _you'd be surprised at how little the kits know, but that wouldn't be the case if you'd actually tell them things -_ but before she could retort to the tom, Windstar was speaking.

"Even the oldest cats are surprised every day, Hazelstar," mewed the first WindClan leader gently. "But yes, it is very weird, isn't it, Finchkit? But that's how it's always been. The visitors have always come, without fail, to the WindClan camp. It's been going on so long now that even I can't remember when this tradition started. But that's beside the point."

Mothflight nodded. "The stars have told us that these cats, though mostly unconnected to StarClan at all, have the power to change your future."

"Change it?" echoed Finchkit. "But if I have a destiny, than surely it can't be changed? Everything that happens would happen on purpose."

"Smart words," Gorsestar commended her. "You are wise beyond your years, Finchkit."

This was clearly meant to be a compliment, but the words hurt her. _All the kits are wise_ _beyond their years. And they'd be wiser, if you'd just -_

"That is a good point," Featherstar agreed. "Perhaps this was the path the stars always had planned for you. But you see, StarClan can only see so far into the future. The stars only tell us so much, when the time is right. We knew these visitors were coming, as they have every year. But only last night did we know what power they held in their paws."

"Are they going to kill someone in the camp?" Finchkit asked for some reason. She didn't know where the question came from; it just sprung from her mouth. Death was something she associated with change.

The older cats exchanged looks, somber.

Mothflight shook her head at last, being the first to speak. "The stars only tell us so much, and we can only see hints of events to unfold most of the time. But the omens that color this upcoming event are dark. Something will change, and not for the better."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Longer chapter! Hope this was enjoyable, and once again, sorry for a late-ish update...

Thank you for all the reviews, everyone! And I appreciate all the people who read this. Any feedback is always appreciated!

 **Mistyecho101:** Thank you for the compliment, and for reading and reviewing!

 **My Name Is No:** My sign is no, my number is...sorry, not sure if that was a reference to Meghan Trainor's No anyway, what you have stumble do on is a story. XD. So glad you think it's great! Hope you're still liking it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **BooksRCoolYeah:** Thank you! Sorry for the slow chapter, both last time and this time, burn im glad you thought their was some depth. Hopefully, things will get more exciting. Thank you, and I hope you liked this chapter too! Thank you for all your support, and for reading and reviewing!

 **Snowcrystal of Thunderclan:** Yes, that's true. A good point too. Also true, about families. It's kind of strange still, and writing the last chapter it just occurred to me. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **Pancake Unicorn:** Thanks! Yes, that was a flashback. Sorry for the confusion! Maybe I should've italicized that part, so if/when I revise, I'll definitely specify. Thanks, I'm glad you liked how the characters were written, and sympathized with Palebird and Finchkit. Me too! Yes, it is. And you might be right, regarding your speculation! And you're okay, I appreciate the time you took to review. Thanks for reading and reviewing! And about cliffhangers...MWAHAHA.

 **Rainstorm:** Keep reading to find out! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

 **jadewolf334:** MWAHAHA! But seriously, I'm glad you found it suspenseful. Good good, conflicted emotions, check! XD Palebird is interesting. I want to write more about her, maybe so somewhere else. And sorry about flashback confusion! I'll italicize when I go edit my chapters. And about your fanfic, it's okay...it's just so fabulous and I always want to read more! You're a great writer, and I love reading what you write. Don't be frustrated with yourself! Sometimes it's better to sit back for a bit let the words come to you. Yay! And of course, you are awesome too! Thanks, I'm glad you thought so! Have any speculations on the cat? You'll find out more later...thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **LilacKitten:** Hmm, hmm, interesting speculation...you might be right...and thanks! I'm super happy that you're liking this fanfiction and I hope you liked this chapter as well! Thanks for reading and reviewing! :3

 **Mistleaf:** Yep, I have, and agree! Wow! Thank you for taking the tine ti to tell me about your dream. It wasn't very interesting, and I'll tu to include a few of the details you mentioned. My dream so tend to Ben very weird and random and actually pretty violent...like last night I dreamed about a world war and there were bombs falling everywhere and something trying to electrocute me...it was weird. Anyway, thank you for telling me; I really appreciate all your enthusiasm and support! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **DragonRaid:** Hi! Nice to meet you! Me too! I love Tallstar's Revenge, and I'm thrilled you found and started reading this! I'm so glad that you're liking Finchkit's characterization, and that's really neat that you know Mistlead in real life! Thank you for taking the time to write all the information about your OC Wrenfeather. I will definitely try to include some interaction with her and Finchkit - I like the little scene you explained and agree, that would be touching! So I'll try to have something. Also, thank you for the kits! One request though; could you maybe change Grasskit and Rabbitkit's names? Just because there are already kits by those names, am definitely I don't want confusion. Otherwise, thank you! I really appreciate all your enthusiasm and support! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **shadowdapple:** Hmm, hmm, interesting speculation...you might be right...and thanks! I'm super happy that you liked the last chapter! And I hope you liked this one as well! Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	16. Chapter 15

I do not own Warriors.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

"GOTCHA!" The shrill mew of a black tom pierced the clearing around the Rock. Underneath the tom's paws, his pale-ginger sister writhed, trying to get free.

"No! It's not fair! I slipped!" she wailed in protest of her inability to escape. "Finchkit!" Now she looked imploringly to the other, "help me! Tell Breezekit that he's not being fair!"

Finchkit tried to suppress a small sigh from her position on the Rock. These kits were the newest to StarClan, having arrived only two sunsets ago, and they had adapted immediately to their afterlives. It was quite fascinating, really, to see new kits arriving. They were the first to come since Finchkit had come herself. She wasn't sure what she'd expected to see from other kits coming to terms with their sudden relocation, but it hadn't been what had happened with these littermates.

The way the three had adapted had been almost...boring and unnatural. They'd hardly asked any questions, other than, "Who are you?" "What is this?" "Why do you have to leave every night?"

They hadn't even seemed interested in why they were no longer in the ThunderClan camp with their mother.

They'd simply allowed themselves to be led by two old and respected ThunderClan cats, quiet the whole way, uninterested in finding anything out from their elders. They were strangely just not...curious at all.

"This is your home now," one ThunderClan cat had mewed in a gentle and soft mew that sounded fake to Finchkit's ears. "You'll meet the other kits soon enough. You'll love it here."

 _You'll love it here._ The words rang, echoing in Finchkit's mind, hitting a hollow of anger and sadness inside of her, letting out a knell that reverberated through her tiny being. The words were spoken with kindness, but they sounded uncaring. Like coming to StarClan was nothing, unimportant, that it was okay to let these kits spend the rest of their existence believing they were alive and in a strange place where they'd never see their families or Clanmates again.

It wasn't fair.

The other ThunderClan cat, the one who hadn't spoken to the kits in Finchkit's presence, had looked at her then. "Mothflight's expecting you at the Starpool tonight. She'd like you to visit Cloudpaw and Sandgorse."

Then both cats had vanished, almost like puffs of air, into the clearing around the Rock, and like always, the only residence of the surrounding area were kits once more.

"Who's Mothflight? Cloudpaw? Sandgorse?" chirped the pale ginger she-cat, Seedkit.

Finchkit didn't have the energy to answer. It was nearing nightfall. The sky, in the distance, was bleeding into black and stars were making their first appearances, lighting up the darkness. It was funny, how even in StarClan, so high above the living Clans, was still so distant from the stars they were named after, the celestial bodies they were supposed to communicate with.

The kits had quickly fallen to tussling, much like they were currently. Seedkit had managed to kick Breezekit off of her using her hind legs, and had pounced once more on her brother, scratching and biting and trying to pin him down.

Next to Finchkit, sitting on the Rock, was their littermate, Littlekit, who had said very little since his arrival in StarClan. He was unlike his littermates in his quiet demeanor, his utter lack of enthusiasm to take any part in their boisterous play fights.

Finchkit, honestly, felt bad for him. No because he wasn't playing with his littermates, but because he was dead and didn't know it. She thought he might've made a good medicine cat, as Mothflight had explained the role of this cat to her a while ago. Mothflight had been a medicine cat.

"MEWRGH!"

"No way! Not fair! Do over!"

"Haha, I won, you lost, take that!"

Breezekit and Sandkit's mews sounding unnaturally loud in the otherwise silent clearing, echoing off the emptiness. The other kits, the kits who'd been here longer, had gone off with Windstar and several other old leaders. They were going to visit their families, to walk in their dreams. Finchkit had been delighted to hear that StarClan, at least, let the kits speak with their loved ones, but had immediately been devastated when she realized that they couldn't actually appear in others' dreams, and the kits still wouldn't find out that they were dead.

Stars, all this secretiveness about being dead was really annoying Finchkit.

The other kits hadn't even gone to the Starpool. They were headed for some other place, in a distant part of StarClan's territory.

Because of her destiny, or whatever it was supposed to be at this point, Finchkit had stayed behind. She'd visited Mothflight at the Starpool every night to continue her evening watches on the WindClan camp, hear a report about whatever interesting had happened that day to Tallpaw or any other cat in WindClan, and then, sometimes, visit a cat's dream. Sometimes it was Palebird, who she still struggled to bring to StarClan with her, sometimes Tallpaw, who she could never speak to (and didn't want to anyway), other times Sandgorse, who never heard her voice, and sometimes Heatherstar, who also could not hear her and whose dreams circled around a strange message Mothflight had delivered to the leader during her naming ceremony.

And when the kits had arrived, she'd watched them, fascinated, as they adapted to StarClan life without a single question about their whereabouts, their families, what had happened to them, why they had died...

"STOP IT!" Seedkit's shrill mew rang out, louder than all her others. "Breezekit! You're hurting me! Larksong said we're not supposed to fight with claws!"

"But Larksong's not hear now, so it doesn't matter," Breezekit argued. "We're real warriors, Seedkit! Real warriors fight with claws!"

He raked a claw across her muzzle. "STOP IT!" she shrieked again. "I QUIT! I DON'T WANNA BE A WARRIOR ANYMORE! FINCHKIT! MAKE HIM STOP! IT HURTS!"

Both Finchkit and Littlekit simply blinked at Seedkit numbly, like they couldn't register what had happened. Then it occurred to Finchkit that the pale ginger she-cat was bleeding, her green eyes sparkling with pain.

"Breezekit, that's enough," she mewed.

"Aw, come on," the black tom complained. "I was just practicing to be a warrior."

"You'll never be a warrior," Finchkit blurted the words before she processed them in her mind. She immediately regretted saying them. Sure, she'd been thinking about telling the kits the truth the moment she saw their forms, small and tiny next to the large ThunderClan cats, approach the Rock. It was the perfect opportunity; the other kits were gone, meaning Icekit couldn't glare and change the subject, and there wasn't another soul anywhere nearby, unless the ThunderClan cats actually hadn't disappeared and they were watching somehow.

But she hadn't actually told them.

"What do you mean, I'll never be a warrior?" Breezekit snapped. "Of course I will. I don't wanna be a medicine cat, so that means I'll be a warrior! And some day, I'll be Breezestar!"

 _Why do all kits want to be leaders?_ Finchkit thought in exasperation, her alarm at what she'd accidentally let slip evaporating.

"Sure, great," Finchkit mewed. "How about we play something else instead."

And just like that, Seedkit and Breezekit seemed to forget all about what Finchkit had just told them.

 _Unbelievable,_ the sandy brown she-cat thought in utter shock. _Is this what all kits are like? Then no wonder none of the other kits could never figure out they were dead. But it's true. Every other time, something always managed to get in the way to stop me from telling the kits the truth, but this time...even when there was nothing, they couldn't figure it out._

Given, they'd been dead for only a few sunrises.

"Finchkit, you should be the leader! You're the oldest!" Seedkit mewed, her eyes shining with hope.

"Aw, no fair," Breezekit complained.

Finchkit blinked at the other she-kit, shocked by her words. "Actually, I've only been here longer. I'm pretty sure you're older than me considering that I - " This time, she managed to cut her sentence off before she finished with, _considering that I died when I was a newborn and you lived in your Clan for a bit._

"Considering that you what?" asked Breezekit. "Considering that you're smaller than us? It's hard to believe you're older. You look like a newborn kit!"

"Considering nothing," Finchkit mewed smoothly. "All right then, I'll be leader."

"Cool, Finchstar!" Seedkit trilled immediately. "Can I be your deputy? Please please please please?"

A strange thrill coursed through Finchkit's veins at the name Seedkit called her. _Finchstar. Something that will never be._

 _I guess it makes sense that all kits want to be leaders,_ Finchkit thought. _I think I want to be one too - I'd want to be one. But I can't. So what's the point in wanting something you can't ever have?_

"Sure, Seedkit, you can be deputy," Finchkit agreed, causing Breezekit to groan.

"Littlekit can be our medicine cat," Seedkit continued. She fixed Finchkit now with a wide-eyed stare. "Are you gonna give us real warrior names now?"

"Sure," Finchkit sighed. "Seedkit, you're Seedheart, Breezekit, you're - "

"No, not like that!" Seedkit complained. "You have to do it like Pinestar did it for the apprentices when they became warriors."

"It's just a game, Seedkit," came Finchkit's unimpressed response. "I'll be leader, but I'm not going to do what the leader does during a ceremony."

Seedkit snorted. "I'm Seedheart now. And why not?"

Breezekit now cut in. "It's not like you're going to change our names by reciting the ceremony words?"

"No, I'm not going to do that," Finchkit mewed decisively, flicking her tail in annoyance. "Take it or leave it. I haven't got all day. I've got to go to the Starpool."

"Fine, you're no fun," Seedkit sulked. "Let's play."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** *Clears throat awkwardly* Ahem. Ahem. Testing, one, two, three, testing. Are we good? Cool.

AHAHAHAHA. Um. That was nervous laughter. AHAHAHA. I'm really sorry, haha, for you know, not updating for a long time, hahaha. Ahem. In all seriousness, though, I'm super sorry about not updating recently. I've been super busy over the last few weeks and have been unable to update any of my fanfictions, including this one, but this week I'm trying to get a chapter out for this and another. I find that I've been trying to promise another make-up chapter due to lack of posting, so I'll do the same here, but no guarantees on a second chapter coming out soon. I'M SORRY.

So yes, this might seem like a random chapter, but several plot-important plot lines got plotted out here. More with the other kits, the visitors, and her journey will come up in later chapters (ahahahaha not sure when those'll come out sorry sorry sorry ahahahaha stop laughing like that).

As always, feedback is much appreciated! Thank you to all your lovely support! Due to time limits, I'm going to answer comments very briefly! Thanks so much for reading.

 **shadowdapple:** Glad you liked the chapter! Ahhhhh! Please don't die from a cliffhanger. I don't wanna murder anybody. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Snowcrystal of Thunderclan:** :D (why are you so tired?). Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **jadewolf334:** Yes, meetings tend to be very boring! XD. And don't worry, I can actually answer your question! The visitors are the actual visitors from the canon; Bess, Algie, Reena, Sparrow, Mole (I think I got them all). No problem, sorry for the late update this time! Glad you liked the writing. Your welcome, and thanks for your support too. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **DragonRaid:** Okay, thanks. I'll try to include your OC's in upcoming chapters. Thank you for your suggestions, and for reading and reviewing!

 **LilacKitten:** Heya! Thanks, glad you liked it. I'm sorry about your nasty headache - those always suck! But yes, a small headache interfere with reading? What language do you speak? Nothing can stop me from reading...I can also answer your question about the visitors. They're the actual visitors from the canon; Algie, Bess, Reena, Sparrow, Mole (I think that's all of them). :3 Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Mistyecho101:** Ooh boy, I hope so. Sorry if this is dragging on, I'll try to make it more exciting in later chapters. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **wrong:** Sorry about my mistake, and thanks for letting me know. At some point I'll go through all previous chapters and look through errors and I'll fix that. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Guest:** Sorry about my mistake, and thanks for letting me know. I'll fix that as soon as I can, when I go through all chapters for proofreading errors (which I tend to do a lot). Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **IT'S TALLPAW:** Well, um, well, um, well. I was going to say something snarky, but you know what, you are right. I made a mistake (AND I OBVIOUSLY NEVER MAKE MISTAKES!). Hmm. I wish there was a sarcasm font or something to convey sarcasm because I fear that what I've just written might come off rude. I'm not trying to be rude. I am trying to be sarcastic. Maybe I should delete and rewrite? Anyway, sorry about my mistake. Thanks for letting me know. I'll fix that, and I'm glad you're liking the story. Sorry for update delay, and thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Ebonyblaze:** Thanks, glad you like it! And I love your name, too. Hope I pulled off the kits okay. I might be using Littlekit for a plot thing, but I'm still working out details. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 **Darkechos15:** Hi! I'm super happy to hear that! I'm glad you think this is an impressive story, and I hope to keep it that way. Sorry for the update delay. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


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